Dive #377

Date: July 25, 2008
Time: 6:00am
Location: Shaw's Cove
Depth (feet): 39
Dive Time (minutes): 79
Surf (feet): 1-3
Surge (feet): 2-3
Water Temp (fahrenheit): 63-64
Visibility (feet): 10+
Visibility Description: clearer than it has been - but still murky
Notes and Highlights: Dove with Steve...some occasional 3+ foot surf, but easily timed and avoided for a easy entry. Dropped down just a bit before the arch and stuck our heads in to check conditions. I watched a rolling wall of white-out coming down the main passageway and figured we'd be better off on the outer reef. A lot of still-nesting garibaldis were a constant for the dive - a few extra-aggressive ones as well. A couple of octopi, lobster, a sheepcrab "couple", one spanish shawl and lots of small schools of blacksmiths. A few well over legal-sized lobster molts...so they're out there...Spent some time in the interior areas of the reef past turn-around rock - surge wasn't nearly as bad in that area. Saw a bunch of closely-grouped possible baby tube anemones? Couple of pics below - don't think I've seen them that small and not in that congregation.

Dives #374, 375, and 376 - with Video

Date: July 20, 2008
Time: 10am-2pm
Location: Starlight/Indian Rock
Depth (feet): Max 51
Dive Time (minutes): lots
Surf (feet): 0
Surge (feet): 0-2
Water Temp (fahrenheit): 64-68
Visibility (feet): 15-30
Visibility Description: decent - could have been better
Notes and Highlights: Dove with Josh and Len on the Magician. First Catalina dive this year, and second for video (also brought the still camera). First two dives were at Starlight - enjoyable difference between the more open sandy areas and the healthy kelp over the rocky reef areas. On both dives we found one bat ray - video of one is below. Not a lot of animal life in general for all the dives - visibility wasn't stellar - a lot of particulate and general "murk"...but still a step up from beach diving recently. Water was generally warm, with some very distinct and bone-chilling thermoclines. Third dive was Indian Rock - again a lot of great kelp and the regulars - garibaldi, lobster, blacksmiths, etc - but none of the leopard sharks I've encountered in the past, and was hoping to get some footage of. Another nice, long and easy dive wrapped up an enjoyable day - smooth ride out and back...and a good time was had by all.

"Forest Flight"

Dives #372 and 373 - Video

Date: July 16, 2008
Time: 5:45pm/8:15pm
Location: Shaw's Cove
Depth (feet): 41/39
Dive Time (minutes): 67/73
Surf (feet): 1-2
Surge (feet): 2-3
Water Temp (fahrenheit): 64
Visibility (feet): 5-7
Visibility Description: bad - murky
Notes and Highlights: Dove with David first and then Steve, David and Tom. First dive was still daylight - bad visibility though. Brought the video camera for the first successful video dive of the year. Housing held up for both dives...looks like it's gonna work. Too much surge in the crevice to spend much time - unfortunate as I found a Porter's Chromodorid, but I doubt anything of it will come out video-wise...too much surge at that spot. Hopkin's Roses and Spanish Shawls were also available for some macro shots. David found a nice moray eel - should have some footage of it to work with. Nightime produced a lot of octopus, rays and Steve found a plainfin midshipman - a different one than I've seen at Shaw's in the past. Camera is soaking...looking forward to reviewing the first 2008 footage, and overall a good time had by all.

Dive #371

Date: July 11, 2008
Time: 5:15am
Location: Diver's Cove
Depth (feet): 35
Dive Time (minutes): 85
Surf (feet): 1
Surge (feet): 0-1
Water Temp (fahrenheit): 64
Visibility (feet): 10-15
Visibility Description: a little murky - overall pretty nice
Notes and Highlights: Dove with Josh - met Steve and Greg (nice to meet you both)...dropped down pretty quick and swam without lights for all of the dive 'cept for looking into stuff...nice vis for ambient dawn light. Moved slowly and quietly looking for sleeping bat rays - on the way out didn't see any sleepers, but about a half dozen flew by at different times like slow-moving ghosts in the murky light...cool. Went out to the end of the Diver's/Fisherman's reefs, passing over and around the deeper crevices. Quite a few schools of juvenile fish...mostly blacksmiths and senoritas...nesting garibaldis and honestly not a whole bunch else - slow day on the reefs. On our return trip I spotted a large Tylodina fungina that was conspicuously out in the open - must have known neither of us had our cameras...large enough and in a spot I may have finally gotten a decent shot. In the shallows on the return we hit the mother load of bat rays, probably 15-20 more...mostly large, and generally passive on the bottom. Bat rays are one of the best starts to a day...and overall a great time had by all.

Dive #370

Date: July 2, 2008
Time: 6:30am
Location: Diver's Cove
Depth (feet): 16
Dive Time (minutes): 44
Surf (feet): 1-3
Surge (feet): 2-5
Water Temp (fahrenheit): 57
Visibility (feet): 2-10
Visibility Description: sand, murky
Notes and Highlights: Dove with Len and Josh, "wake-up dive" for the day. This time we weren't let down by the bat rays - a lot of them...and big ones. Several were fine with us settling down quietly on the sand next to them to get a closer look. A lot of surge still, but over the sand the vis opened up a bit over 10. Enjoyable, great way to start the day, and a good time had by all.

Dive #369

Date: July 1, 2008
Time: 6:00pm
Location: Diver's Cove
Depth (feet): 38
Dive Time (minutes): 55
Surf (feet): 1-3
Surge (feet): 3-5
Water Temp (fahrenheit): 55-59
Visibility (feet): 10+
Visibility Description: particulate from the surge...a little murky
Notes and Highlights: Dove with Josh - first in over 2 months! Been a ridiculous combination of events and situations to keep me out of the water, but very, very, very good to be back in. Dove with no camera gear - just a "shake out" to get some figurative and literal cobwebs out. High tide, so the surf wasn't bad - some good sized ones in sets, but breaking so high up on the beach it lessened them significantly. Dropped down quick hoping to see some of the characteristic bat rays, but didn't see any - maybe they aren't a fan of the surge. Surge was somewhat annoying, but certainly manageable. In addition to no bat rays, there was a ton of other things we didn't see either...basically a surge tour of the reef with some garibaldi, senorita, blacksmiths...a half dozen or so of the huge, giant sea hares, and a couple schools of fish towards the end. Josh had a bit of a free-flow on his reg so we had started back early...it cleared up, and we poked around in the shallows for a bit, but I was diving my beat-up suit and with the temps didn't mind a shorter dive than we were tanked for...good to be back in the water - heading out tomorrow morning before work for what should be another good time had by all...