Good dives at Mytridium Mountain and McAbee Pinnacle with Beachhopper II January 8, 2022

Guy and Tessa Foster and I had two good dives with Beachhopper II last Saturday. Our first dive was at a site called Mytridium Mountain. Visibility was around 15 ft, water temp was 51 degrees depths 45 to 65 ft. Lots of Mytridium aka Plumrose Anemones. Below are some pictures from the dive, to see more, please go to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/1fgGYfVPLiJos2n28

Our second dive was McAbee Pinnacle, a well known site but I believe this was the first time I ever dived it. It's a very good dive site. Depths from 35 to 55 ft. Saw several California Sheephead, a large Calico or Kelp Bass, a couple large Opaleye, a large Lingcod, and a patient Cabezon. I was pleased to see several Giant Kelp strands on the site, hopefully they will grow and be joined by more in the spring. Below are some photos from the dive, to see more please go to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/sNK4YeFC11QSW6pS6 Below: California Sheephead, these were not common in Monterey when I was diving there in the late 70s and 80s but are becoming more and more common with warming.

Above: Calico, aka Kelp Bass

Above: Sculpin, about 4 inches long.

Above: Lingcod

Above: Cabezon

Two very good dives off Clearwater Beach, FL, Clearwater Wreck and Spooky Ledge

Yesterday I was out for a second great day of diving with Tanksalot Dive Charters on their dive boat Orion. Sea conditions were quite calm for the run out and we went further offshore to 65 ft of water, diving first on Clearwater Wreck (an old steamboat wreck that was on charts 55 years ago when I first started going offshore fishing and diving), which I had never dived before and then on Spooky Ledge, also in 65 ft of water. We had 20 ft visibility and 80 degree water. Clearwater Wreck did not disappoint, though little of the hull remains there is still a lot of large structure on the bottom with clouds of fish. Immediately after descending I encountered a nice sized Nurse Shark and then soon began seeing Goliath Groupers in clouds of small fish. Below are some photos from the dive, to see more, please go to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/i9uyRQTyWwGZZ7ft6

I spotted this Nurse Shark right after descending.

A diver over part of the wreck.

I soon spotted a Goliath Grouper through the clouds of small fish on the wreck.

There were at least five Goliath Groupers at the wreck. Seeing them and getting pictures through the thick schools of fish was a challenge.

Next, I was visited by "Barnie" so named for the barnacles on his shell, the loggerhead turtle.

The wreck also had several barracuda lurking about.

Our second dive was to the south of Clearwater wreck, still in 60-65 ft of water on a site called Spooky Ledge. It's a very long, beautiful ledge. I was very entertained by the juvenile Amberjacks, and really pushed my bottom time to photo them after everyone else was gone (I was first down, last up and spent some extra time on my safety stop...). Below are some pictures, to see more, please go to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/hNj7ji6XNAnE14ao8

Small Red Grouper

Blue Anglefish

Curious juvenile Amberjacks

Natural light photo of swirling Amberjacks.