Dive report - Pt Loma 1/16/11

Dive #1

Date: 1/16/11
Location: Pt Loma
Time in: 10:20 am
Time under: 52 min
Max depth: 83 ft
Ave temp: 55F
Vis: 20-30 ft
Waves: glassy, w/ occasional set. Some surge at the bottom.
Mix: 33%
Buddies: Mike Hallack and Steve Murvine

Dive #2 - 'Main wall'

Time in: 12:51 pm
Time under: 54 min
Max depth: 84 ft
Ave temp: 55F
Vis: 40 ft+
Waves: glassy, minimal surge
Mix: 32%
Buddies: Mike Hallack and Steve Murvine

More photos:
http://underpressurephoto.com/Dive-Reports/20110116-ScubaPtLoma/


Rockfish, red gorgonian and a school of sargo (Anisotremus davidsoni) in the kelp forest.

Highlights: Back in the water after more than a month. Beautiful topside conditions and good conditions underwater. 2 sea lions frolicking on the first dive and the shear size and life on the giant wall on the second dive.

Had two great dives. It was my first time on the Submariner, even though Steve has been inviting me for the last 6 months. Steve definitely knows the spots out there.


Giant Acorn Barnacle (Balanus nubilus) and Club-tipped Anemones (Corynactis californica)

First dive
- Shot wide angle. A bit of surge, but still beautiful structure, with gorgonians, sargo, sheephead and rockfish. 2 sea lions buzzed us throughout the second half of the dive over the deeper area. They didn't get close enough for a good shot, but as Steve so eloquently put it - Allison has spoiled that closeup sea lion shot for the rest of us anyways. :)


Gopher Rockfish (Sebastes carnatus) on a reef.

Second dive
- Switched to macro, but should have also switched camera batteries. Gorgeous wall, ~50 ft tall and stretching as far as I could see covered in life. There was so much to look at, like a kid in a candy store I had trouble focusing on any one part to look for nudibranchs and other macro subjects. About 10 minutes into the dive, my camera informed me that it was done for the day. I spent the rest of the dive enjoying looking at the scenery without the distraction of the camera and even tried a little bit of modeling for Mike, who was still shooting wide angle.


Blood Star (Henricia leviuscula) and Club-tipped Anemones (Corynactis californica)

Scott

Cabo San Lucas, August 2010 - Part 5

Snorkeling Cabo Pulmo

One of the days of our trip, we journeyed to Cabo Pulmo for a full day of snorkeling. We gathered into one of the pangas with a group of about 7 people and were launched from the beach by a rusting 4x4 truck.

1st site - Playa La Sirenita

This was a shallow snorkeling site, protected from swells. The name comes from a rock on the beach, shaped like a mermaid. At this snorkeling site, we saw the usual tropical fish in amongst the reefs. It was a relaxing swim around the cove. The highlight of snorkeling at this site was a sea turtle that we saw near the end of our time there.

Sea lions at the "Sea Lion Colony" at Cabo Pulmo.

2nd site - Sea Lion Colony

We journeyed around the southern point of Cabo Pulmo and checked out the Sea Lion Colony. There weren't that many sea lions, but we gave it a go anyways. The swells were larger here and we were warned not to swim too close to the rocks that the sea lions were sun bathing on. We jumped over the side and swam towards the rocks. As I approached the pinnacles, the sea lions started to come down off the rocks to investigate us. I dove down about 15 ft and photographed the sea lions underwater. As I was photographing, one of them swam at me, blowing bubbles and clapping it's flippers. I'm not sure whether it was aggressive or not, but I was cautious and backed off after that. The sea lion made about 3 close passes at me and then lost interest and climbed back up on the rock.

Snorkeling with a large school of jacks at Cabo Pulmo.

3rd site - near El Bajo de los Meros

We rode the panga back to the north, out into deeper water. Our snorkeling guide and panga driver were looking for one of the large school of jacks that frequent the area. We ended up near the dive site El Bajo de los Meros and were told to start swimming as soon as we back rolled off the panga. The current was stronger here, though we were able to swim against it without too much trouble. We were in about 40-60 ft of clear, blue water and could see the sandy bottom below us. The guide had succeeded in finding the jacks. We slowly followed the jacks from the surface, as they swam as a school against the current. Every once in a while, one of us would swim down to them, ~20 ft below the surface and the school would split and weave back together. I got to try out a little bit of freediving and my ears suffered as a result of focusing on the camera vs equalizing pressure. Swimming against the current to keep up with the moving school also didn't help with swimming down to the school.

Freediving with the large school of jacks at Cabo Pulmo.

4th site - Reef near the dive shop

The last snorkeling spot was a shallow reef near to the dive shop and beach. There wasn't anything really special seen at this dive spot, but it was still filled with tropical fish over the rocky reef.

Next up are the macro dives I did under the Cabo San Lucas harbor.

Scott

Cabo Pulmo, Mexico


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Dive report - LJS North Wall 11/27/10

Date: 11/27/10
Location: LJS, North Wall
Time in: 11:13 am
Time under: 70 min
Max depth: 80 ft
Min temp: ~50 F, very cold the entire dive
Vis: 15-25 ft
Waves: 1-2 ft, slightly larger on exit
Mix: 32%

Buddies:  Mike, Marla, Virginia, Patricia and Robert

Berthella californica with gills out

Photos: 

http://underpressurephoto.com/Dive-Reports/20101127-Scuba-LJS-North-Wall/

Highlights:  Mmm, nitrox.  Great visibility, nice blue color.  Tons of sheep crabs above the North Wall.

We had planned on a boat trip to Pt Loma, but it was canceled due to concern about the afternoon weather.  When we arrived at the shores, it was calm and flat.  Since we'd gone through the trouble of getting nitrox for the boat, we decided to do the North Wall.  Mike, Marla and I were on nitrox and Virginia, Patricia and Robert were on air, so we split into two groups, with the air group heading back early.  Early on the swim out, we had 3-4 dolphins pass by within about 20 ft, between us and shore.  We dropped down after the long surface swim, made longer by my decision to try switching to blade fins from split fins for better control underwater.  The water was clear and cold, with a nice blue tint.  We followed the wall, stopping to take pictures of a couple of Berthella californica.  There were small patches of squid eggs and a few dead squid, scattered here and there.

  
Market Squid (Loligo opalescens) after a hard night

In addition to using blade fins, this was a test run for a couple of home made snoots.  The ones I made are just extension tubes for the DS-125s and have an exit aperture roughly equal to the strobe.  They make a bit of a difference in getting just the subject lit and reducing the light on the surroundings.  The good news is that they didn't fall off and they didn't completely ruin pictures.  I call it a successful test run  :)

  
Market Squid (Loligo opalescens) showing off colors

On the plateau above the end of the North Wall, there were tons of sheep crabs.  Probably 10-15 scattered about.  I don't know if they are usually there or whether it's just their season.  We turned around and headed back, following the contour at about 50-60 ft, avoiding the blue water swim.  On the way back, we found a few living squid with some small groups of eggs.  At about 20 ft, the water became more cloudy/green and the detritus was churning.  The wind had picked up a little and there was a small swell from the south west.  As we exited the water, another dolphin passed by further out.

 
Sheep Crab (Loxorhynchus grandis) portrait

Scott

Cabo San Lucas, August 2010 - Part 4

Divers hanging on the anchor line in strong current at Gordo Bank. Photo taken at about 80 ft.

Gordo Bank (advanced dive site)

Gordo Bank called to me when I read the description. The chance to see schooling hammerhead sharks, schools of tuna and the possibility to see large mantas or whale sharks. Gordo Bank is about an hours boat ride from Cabo San Lucas. It is located north of San Jose del Cabo in the Sea of Cortez. The dive site is a pinnacle in the middle of the Sea of Cortez that comes up to about 120 ft below the surace. There can be strong currents - like the day we dove there. Gordo Bank is an advanced dive site and is recommended for more experienced divers only. Kevin, one of the owners of Amigos del Mar dive shop, advised me that August was not the best time of year to dive Gordo. Even though I didn't come back with any good photos to share, I'm still glad I experienced it.


School of Panamic porkfish (Anisotremus taeniatus) at Cabo Pulmo

We did two dives with an anchor line down to the pinnacle. The current was strong enough that we needed to use a granny line to get to the anchor line at the front of the boat. I was glad to have a good surface marker buoy (SMB) and jon line for these dives. If anyone had lost their grip on the anchor line, they would quickly drift out of site of the boat. As we descended for the first dive, I followed the dive guide down the line to about 70 feet. The current was ripping and I was glad to have gloves on. As we got below 70 feet, the anchor line suddenly jerked as the anchor broke free of the pinnacle and the temperature dropped dramatically, causing me to sharply inhale. We hung on as we briefly swung free in the current until it caught again. I continued down to about 90 feet, while the dive guide pulled himself down the line to make sure the anchor was set. The top of the pinnacle was just visible from 90 feet. Later he shared that the anchor was at 140 feet. From 90 ft, we could make out schooling hammerheads in the distance. A group of them was herding a school of tuna. Unfortunately, they were too far away to photograph and they kept phasing in and out of our visibility. As we ascended up to above 50 ft, jellyfish and small siphonophores drifted quickly by in the current. Also drifting by was excrement from both the hammerheads and tuna. We were downwind from a lot of fish.


A school of jacks at Cabo Pulmo.

The other two divers almost didn't join us on the second dive. They were newer divers and were a bit nervous because of the current and a little sea sick from the large swells. They also didn't have an SMB or even gloves. I decided to switch to macro for the second dive in the hopes of photographing the passing jellys. On the second dive, the current was still strong, but as fate would have it, the tuna came closer. We also saw some hammerheads closer, but they were well below us in the dark. I didn't go as deep, trying to stay within the range where the jellys were. I used my jon line to hook into the anchor line so that my hands were free to use the camera. I tried, unsuccessfully, to photograph the jellyfish and siphonophores as they passed by. Right about the time I was get the camera focused to the right range, they would be floating passed me. It was quite an experience and I would like to try it again during the right time of year when visibility is better and the sharks are more numerous.

Date: 11/14/10
Location: LJS, North Wall
Time in: 8:02 am
Time under: 67 min
Max depth: 76 ft
Avg temp: 57 F
Vis: 15-20 ft
Waves: 1-3 ft
Buddies: Mike, Kim, Spencer, Steve, Terry


Hermissenda crassicornis

Photos: http://underpressurephoto.com/Dive-Reports/20101114-Scuba-LJS-North-Wall/

Highlights: Visit to the rarely dived North Wall at La Jolla Shores.


Brown Rockfish (Sebastes auriculatus)

Inspired by the recent reports from the North Wall, I convinced everybody to join me in the long(er) surface swim. Led by Kim, we found it after dropping down and a short swim at 50 ft. The North Wall is bigger and more populated than the often dived main wall. There were lots of spiny brittle stars stars covering the wall and large holes occupied by lobsters. Painted greenlings chased each other around and large sheephead kept watch. There was a large brown rockfish that followed us for a little while, plopping down and watching until we got closer. Then he'd move along and plop down nearby until we caught up. There was some macrocystis kelp, a patch of red gorgonian and the start of some elk horn kelp stalks. Kim also found a couple of cockerell's dorids. Mike and I didn't really find any other nudibranchs on the wall, though our time was limited by trying not to do into deco. Next time we'll need to bring nitrox.


Sheep Crab (Loxorhynchus grandis)

On the way back, a large sheep crab wanted to take me on in a boxing match, falling over as he lifted himself up on his back legs. After the blue/green water swim, we found an old green bottle with an octopus safely tucked inside and lots of hermissendas in the detritus. The last find was a dirona picta, but I was getting low on air and couldn't stick around to try to get a good photo.

Macrocystis Kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera)

Scott

Cabo San Lucas, August 2010 - Part 3

Reef scene at Cabo Pulmo.

This is Part 3 of my photos and dive reports from Cabo San Lucas.

Cabo Pulmo

Cabo Pulmo is the best place to dive near Cabo San Lucas. It is a ~90 minute car ride north from the city, with 6 miles of the drive on a bumpy dirt road. Located within the Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park, the site is safe from fishing and the pollution of the cities and includes the only living reef in western North America. There is a small village that has three restaurants, a couple of dive shops and a small resort, but not much more. We traveled there 2 days in a row - one day of diving and one day of snorkeling.


School of Panamic porkfish (Anisotremus taeniatus) at Cabo Pulmo

Maps:
http://www.cabopulmopark.com/maps.html

We did two dives inside the park, one was at La Esperanza, looking for large sharks, and the other was a drift dive at El Bajo de los Meros. The diving was done out of a panga, with no shade. To get the boat in the water, they had a rusty, old 4x4 truck that pushed the boat into the small surf. It reminded me of being in Bali, though this location made Bali seemed civilized. On the first dive, we spotted two large bull sharks off in the distance. Unfortunately, they were too far away to get a good photo.

Reef scene at Cabo Pulmo.

During the safety stop, we found ourselves surrounded by small jelly fish. I spent the rest of the trip with jelly fish stings on my hands and face. One of the other divers, a young lady from Australia, faired worse with stings all over her legs. As a side note, gloves are not allowed to be worn in Cabo Pulmo in order to protect the reef.


A school of jacks at Cabo Pulmo.

During a short surface interval in the panga, we motored over to the next dive site - El Bajo de los Meros. This dive site offered a beautiful line of reefs that we drifted along. Abundant life, hard corals and gorgonian sea fans adorn the reef. We saw schools of bright yellow panamic porkfish, puffer fish, eels and large schools of jacks. Near the end of the dive, we jumped from one line of reefs to another. El Bajo was my favorite and the richest dive site that I dove while in Cabo.

Freight train of jacks.

Additional photos from Cabo Pulmo are located at:
http://underpressurephoto.com/Underwater/Cabo-2010/Cabo-San-Lucas-2010/

Dive Report - La Jolla Shores 11/7/10

Date: 11/7/10
Location: La Jolla Shores
Time in: 8:01 am
Time under: 66 min
Max depth: 70 ft
Avg temp: 64 F
Vis: ~10 ft, hazy with lots of stuff kicked up
Waves: 1-3 ft, northerly longshore current
Buddies: Spencer & Bill

Blue-Ring Topsnail (Calliostoma annulatum)

Photos:
http://underpressurephoto.com/Dive-Reports/20101107-Scuba-LJS/

Highlights: Beautiful topside conditions, a little rough underwater. Photographed a nice blue ring topsnail and saw a couple of juvenile horn sharks.


Three Lined Aeolid (Flabellina trilineata)

There were sets of waves that came through that were in the 2-3+ ft range, but they were easily timed. They seemed to be getting bigger after we got out though. Underwater, there was still a northerly longshore current that prevented us from swimming very far south of the lifeguard tower. We were aiming for Vallecitos Point, but never got close. Along the canyon, there was a steady surge that we had to fight to swim south and visibility was better in the shallows than below 20 ft. I brought the 105mm lens for a change and spent a lot of the dive fighting it to focus at close range. Spencer was shooting wide angle, so along the canyon rim I tried to model a little. Overall, not that great of conditions, but it will still really nice to get out and take a few pictures.


Juvenile Horn Shark (Heterodontus francisci)


Speckled Sanddab (Citharichthys stigmaeus)

Scott