Dive Report - Shaws Cove 9/25/10

Date: 9/25/10
Location: Shaws Cove, Laguna Beach
Time in: 10:01 am
Time under: 83 min
Max depth: 44 ft
Min temp: ~59 F
Vis: 15-25 ft, w/ 30+ vertical
Waves: 1-2 feet, nothing big
Buddies: my pony


Simnia (Delonovolva aequalis) on red gorgonian (Lophogorgia chilensis)

More photos:
http://underpressurephoto.com/Dive-Reports/20100925-Scuba-Shaws-Cove/

Highlights: Beautiful conditions above water and below water. My first simnia, a few cockerellis, hopkins roses, spanish shawls and a moray.


Abstract Spanish Shawl (Flabellina iodinea)

I had a nice, long relaxing dive at Shaws on Saturday morning, before the weather turned freakishly hot. Conditions were great and visibility was spectacular. I decided to push past the initial canyon swim through and explore the outer reef. There were lots of students in the water and I wanted to get out past them. When I got to about 40 feet deep, I found the large canyon walls, 30-40 feet vertical and filled with life. The garibaldis were out in force guarding their eggs, spanish shawls were munching on hydroids, juvenile treefish hiding sheepishly in the crevices, and blacksmith were all over the place. I spent some time just exploring the canyons that link Shaws Cove and Crescent. The kelp forest is coming along nicely (thanks!) and the snails have taken up residence. On the way back in, I stopped in the initial large canyon area to visit the hopkins roses.


Moray Eel (Gymnothorax mordax) and red shrimp

I've only dove Shaws Cove 5 times and each time I find something that surprises me. Definitely more to explore in the canyons, when the conditions are right.

Shaws Cove, Laguna Beach

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Scott

Dive Report - La Jolla Shores Night Dive 9/11/10

Date: 9/11/2010
Dive # 197
Location: La Jolla Shores, CA
Time in: 7:26 pm
Time under: 81 min
Max depth: 64 ft
Vis: 15-20 at depth
Waves: 1-2 ft, with wind chop on the surface
Buddies: Mike H., Terry and Kim


Bay Pipefish (Syngnathus leptorhynchus)

More photos:
http://underpressurephoto.com/Dive-Reports/20100911-Scuba-LJS-Night-Dive/

Highlights: A rare night dive for me. We saw the usual suspects - lots of shrimp, octopi, crab, sarcastic fringehead out of their holes, and a lone market squid.


Horn shark (Heterodontus francisci)

Had a nice long dive with Mike, with occasional sightings of Kim and Terry. We spent a large portion of the dive in the crap patch before heading south looking for the D. iris. We either didn't make it far enough south or they're not there anymore. We didn't find a hole lot of nudibranchs out other than a few hermissendas. Visibility at depth made it easy to keep an eye on each other from a distance, but above ~25 feet, it was cloudy. Lots of bio luminescence in the water.


Red Octopus (Octopus rubescens) and sand dollars (Dendraster excentricus)

Scott

Dive Report - La Jolla Shores 9/4/10

Date: 9/4/10
Location: La Jolla Shores, Main Wall
Time in: 7:53 am
Time under: 48 min
Max depth: 64 ft
Vis: ~15 below 25 ft
Waves: 1-2 ft
Buddies: Spencer and family, Mike H, Marla, Terry


Free swimming Dendronotus iris at La Jolla Shores.

More photos:
http://underpressurephoto.com/Dive-Reports/20100904-Scuba-LJS/


Highlights: Getting back out at LJS with good friends, seeing all the D. iris nudis.

We all met up for Spencer's 'bachelor party' dive and to take his sister and brother-in-law out for a dive. I was shooting wide angle, so the D. iris photos are not quite what I would have done with a macro lens.


Dendronotus iris orgy, with eggs.

It was good practice, in any case and it was really cool seeing them spread out all over the sand at ~25-30 ft. Some were mating, some were swimming, some were having an orgy.


Free swimming Dendronotus iris at La Jolla Shores.

Scott