Dive #368

Date: April 29, 2008
Time: 7:20pm
Location: Shaw's Cove
Depth (feet): 35
Dive Time (minutes): 65
Surf (feet): 2-3+
Surge (feet): 2-4
Water Temp (fahrenheit): 59
Visibility (feet): 5 (+/-)
Visibility Description: poor
Notes and Highlights: Dove with Erik and Mike - first time this year for both...some reasonably large surf crashing even though it was high tide...but good lulls so the entry and exit were uneventful. Surface swimming is ridiculous...the kind of surface chop that just beats the fun out of you...slow going. Dropped down and spent a bit of time working our way to the reef...chased a 9" diameter jellyfish for a bit - but the pics of it (and every other thing tonight) weren't usable. Rare to see a healthy looking jellyfish of that size at Shaw's (at least for me) - so that made the dive worth the surface beating very early on. Made it to the reef and spent the hour going out by turn-around where we, well...turned around. Found a bunch of stuff - mostly playing peek-a-boo in tiny holes and crevices...octopus, spanish shawls, hopkin's roses, cockerell's dorids, scorpionfish, sheep crab (large), and a few round rays. Mike and Erik saw a halibut that I didn't...again, my pics were no good tonight...hopefully Erik had better results. Bad surface conditions and poor vis...but warmer than it's been, and the jellyfish made for a good time had by all.

Dive # 367

Date: April 28, 2008
Time: 7:15am
Location: Montage
Depth (feet): 30
Dive Time (minutes): 100
Surf (feet): 1
Surge (feet): 1+
Water Temp (fahrenheit): 55
Visibility (feet): 5-12
Visibility Description: murky - mostly brown
Notes and Highlights: Dove with Kevin and Ron - tide was low, but the lack of swell and surge made it far more enjoyable than low tide at Montage is normally. Went in by the first stairs and dropped down pretty quickly - not even around the point of the reef as the lack of surge in the shallows made it worth it. Didn't see much in the early part of the dive, but past the middle, and towards the end the list of sightings included sea lions, a large halibut, sea hare eggs, a couple of spanish shawls, swimming crabs, a purple globe crab, many dead (or molted) sand crabs (has anyone ever seen one alive?) and sheep crabs. Two of the sheep crabs we saw were either residing or trapped in a half-buried, old lobster trap. We took a stab at pulling the trap out of the sand as at least one of the two crabs looked too large to be able to exit via the trap entrances. We failed, and hopefully it was an unnecessary effort anyways, and they are able to come and go as they please. We spent a lot of time in shallow water (at one point measured in inches)...but the lack of surge made even the shallowest enjoyably easy. A slow start, and poor vis, but overall a good time had by all.

Dive # 366

Date: April 16, 2008
Time: 5:30pm
Location: Shaw's Cove
Depth (feet): 37
Dive Time (minutes): 68
Surf (feet): 1-2+
Surge (feet): 1-3
Water Temp (fahrenheit): 55
Visibility (feet): 6-8
Visibility Description: murky
Notes and Highlights: Dove with Josh - bad vis and some surge...but still enjoyable. Worked our way very carefully along the reef looking for photo subjects for Josh (I was camera free this dive). Found a bunch of standard nudibranchs, octopi and nesting garibaldi. Said "hi" to Shelly again, and poked around Turn-Around rock for a bit - ran into a couple of juvenile sea lions...we were moving slow enough to make the 55 degrees seem colder than the previous dives...but still relaxing, and a good time had by all.

Dive #365

Date: April 14, 2008
Time: 9:15am
Location: Shaw's Cove
Depth (feet): 36
Dive Time (minutes): 43
Surf (feet): 1-2
Surge (feet): only when taking pictures
Water Temp (fahrenheit): 52
Visibility (feet): 10+
Visibility Description: murky
Notes and Highlights: Dove solo - took the day off - beautiful day to take too...one of the nicest days of the year so far...Easy in with mild surf and dropped down pretty quick...purposefully headed to Shelly to see the "little black-striped nudibranchs" that had been spotted on her before...didn't find them, but I did find something I'd appreciate some ID help with...saw a few Cockerell's Dorids, Hopkin's Roses, Spanish Shawls, a halibut, round rays and several large schools of blacksmiths...also snapped a poor shot of another ID help request...very dark nudi-looking thing with orange and white "bristles"...Enjoy the pics (click Shelly below for the quick slideshow), and any help with the two ID's much appreciated...overall a good time had by all (even if it's just me this time).

Update: Thanks Scott and Kevin for the IDs! I've updated the Hedgehog Hydroid and removed the poor picture...it was a Cucumaria Piperata.

Dive # 364 - Cold as a Deadman...

Date: April 4, 2008
Time: 7:30am
Location: Deadman's Reef/Crescent
Depth (feet): 44
Dive Time (minutes): 80
Surf (feet): 1-2
Surge (feet): 1-2
Water Temp (fahrenheit): 50-54 - a lot of 50
Visibility (feet): 5-10
Visibility Description: murky
Notes and Highlights: Dove with Kevin - been a while...nice easy entry through negligible surf and a leisurely swim out the drop down point past Seal Rocks. Dropped down and found Deadhenge pretty quick...and followed it into the reef. Spent a slow-moving dive around and on top of the reef...water was cold...quite a bit of 50 degree areas with some shallower at 54. A lot of Spanish Shawls - some with eggs, Tylodina fungina (which I still don't have any reasonable pics of), a large sheep crab, small moray, octopi, a large Cabezon and assorted reef fish in good number.
Kevin did a great job leading and spotting potential photo subjects. Very relaxing (albeit cold) swim back into the shallows near the beach for an easy exit, and a good time had by all...click the pic below for the quick slide show.