Woot Woot, Diving at pt Lobos... severe DUW

Yep, finally got in to dive at point lobos, the vis was awesome (for monterey) and the water was very nearly tolerable at 54 degrees.

On the way in to the park......

Chi chi chi chia

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...iving/chia.jpg

Found this little guy on our break between dives....

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...diving/pc1.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...diving/pc4.jpg

This is Whalers Cove where we get in the water.....

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...halerssign.jpg

Very calm day, no surge at all.....

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j.../whalers_a.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j.../whalers_b.jpg

Peltodoris nobilis

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j.../P_nobilis.jpg

Black and Yellow Rockfish peeking out

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...hrysomelas.jpg

Teeny Tiny Triopha maculata

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...a_maculata.jpg

White-Spotted Rose Anemone

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...lofotensis.jpg

and retracted

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...ing/U_lofo.jpg

Insane Cnidarian

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...g/mysteryb.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...g/mysteryc.jpg

Painted Greenling

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...pgreenling.jpg

Warty Sea Cucumber

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...ing/seacuc.jpg

Serpulid Worm

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...rpulidworm.jpg

Big Honkin Lingcod

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...ng/theling.jpg

Feather Duster Worm

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j..._polymorph.jpg

Flaming Hermissenda crassicornis

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...g/H_crassi.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...orn_flamer.jpg

Cabezon (aka Fathead)

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...ng/fathead.jpg

Giant Spined Star

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...spinedstar.jpg

Hopkins Rose

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...eandchiton.jpg

Ida's Miters getting it on

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...miterlovin.jpg

Kelpage

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...ng/kelpart.jpg

Kelp Rockfish

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...ierockfish.jpg

nearly impossible to photograph Krill

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...ving/krill.jpg

Lingcod Face

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...g/lingface.jpg

Berthella californica

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...alifornica.jpg

2 inch cucumber (Cucumaria piperata)

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...C_piperata.jpg

Cadlina luteomarginata

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...omarginata.jpg

Leather Star

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j..._imbricata.jpg

Aggregating Anemones

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...gatinganem.jpg

Baby Bloodstar?

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...oodstarish.jpg

Adult Bloodstar

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j.../bloodstar.jpg

Black rockfish

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...ckrockfish.jpg

And the best find of the day

Comb Jelly

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j.../combjelly.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...llyhotness.jpg

:O;)

Cheers!
Kat

Wow those pictures are amazing... I wish I knew where you went to see all these animals... I bet it was a blaaaast!!

Incredible pics, I love them. Looks like you had lots of fun.

My Brother In law is leaving for Utila, Honduras on the 5th for his Diving Masters certification. He is really excited. He wants to teach diving while he goes to college.

WOW those are some amazing pictures.:gj::gj:

Always look forward to your pictures! These are outstanding! :gj:
Thanks for posting them!

Wow Kat....Im speechless after those pics.

Seems like so much fun.

Is this a good deal Kat.....the group one prolly

http://www.peacescubacenter.com/classes_new.htm

OMG.. amazing pictures. Looks like you had a great time. thank you for sharing.

You are so frickin LUCKY and AWESOME!!!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Patrick Long

Wow Kat....Im speechless after those pics.

Seems like so much fun.

Is this a good deal Kat.....the group one prolly

http://www.peacescubacenter.com/classes_new.htm

---

$350 is pretty standard for your open water cert. So get it done buddy so you can go diving with us!! I'll send you a bottle of shark repellent since I know you are concerned...... :O:O:O

Cheers,
Kat

yeah and the 350 comes with a bunch of pool training, and then two real dives.


Thanx for the offer for shark re-pel. I will definately look how to make those little explosive capsules!

Are those little cucumber lookin guys nudibranches? i tried to keep one of those in my salt tank but he gotten eaten pretty quick.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Patrick Long

yeah and the 350 comes with a bunch of pool training, and then two real dives.


Thanx for the offer for shark re-pel. I will definately look how to make those little explosive capsules!

---

Generally for your cert, you have a few 'classroom' sessions watching boring videos and learning common sense (ie do not take the regulator out of your mouth unless you have suddenly sprouted gills). Then you do basic skills like clearing a flooded mask and buddy breathing, etc in a pool. then you do those same skills out in the ocean (usually 4 dives total in the ocean, 2 per day). It can be a little tedious but it's important stuff. Overall it is NOT hard to get your cert if you pay attention.

woot woot..........


Cheers,
kat

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DSGB

Are those little cucumber lookin guys nudibranches? i tried to keep one of those in my salt tank but he gotten eaten pretty quick.

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Yep, they're nudies and virtually impossible to keep in a tank because they all have specialized diets.... (ie specific bugula sp)


Cheers,
Kat

Sweet pics! I too am an avid diver. What kind of camera are you those pics with? I just got a sealife 600 for christmas.... have to get an external flash tho before it is really usable.

Cnidaria!!!!!!!!

Love It :D

Also love Pt Lobos... Got out there in Dec. One of my fave places :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mcavana

Sweet pics! I too am an avid diver. What kind of camera are you those pics with? I just got a sealife 600 for christmas.... have to get an external flash tho before it is really usable.

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Hey, even without the external flash, you can shoot macro all day long! I use a cheap Olympus c-4000 or c-750 with an underwater housing and (occasionally) a sea and sea ys-30 strobe.

Seriously, though, you guys have WAAAAAY clearer water down there than we have here, I would think natural light (down to 25-30 feet or so) would be enough to aid the built in flash. Here's a couple I took in puerto rico a few months ago with NO external flash....

Flamingo Tongue Cyphoma

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...ngorgonian.jpg

Conch and Juvie Bluehead wrasse

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...iebluehead.jpg

Grunts and Squirrelfish

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...sunderpier.jpg

Lettuce Sea slug

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...uceseaslug.jpg

Pederson's Cleaning Shrimp

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...ningshrimp.jpg

I love Conch.

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...ueenconchc.jpg

Boring Urchins

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...ringurchin.jpg

upsidedown Jelly

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...njellyfish.jpg

Wicked Trumpetfish

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...rumpetfish.jpg

Wookie Crab (we call them that, they are actually in the genus Mithrax)

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...wookiecrab.jpg


Cheers,
Kat

Awesome pictures, although if I was posting them, they'd all be captioned "oh yeah this cool yellow thingy!", etc....

Very nice pics, hopefully this year I will get to do some saltwater diving. Ive only ever done freshwater so Im hoping Ill get into saltwater soon.

Wow!! You always find such wonderful things whether you are underwater or above!! Fabulous pictures - I especially love the horny toad, all the nudibranchs, and the kelp shot, but the ctenophore is just too cool!! :D

Great pics from Puerto Rico, too! I love conch eyes - they are such cool creatures! I did my Master's on grunts - way back when... Nice to see them again!

umm... WOW? lol! awesome pics as usual, Kat!

thats amazing, i think ill have to get my diving certificate!

Wow Kat those are some amazing pics. I almost became a commercial diver when I was young. I started diving at 14 and was taking commercial scuba courses at 17. I havent dove in many years I dont even remember which type of certification I have. Do they ever expire? I only dove the east coast never here in Cali.

Your pics are awesome, make me wanna get in the water and spearfish my dinner!;)

I need to pic you brain about todays equipment and procedures, last time I bought equipment it was probably 1980.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by West Coast Jungle

Wow Kat those are some amazing pics. I almost became a commercial diver when I was young. I started diving at 14 and was taking commercial scuba courses at 17. I havent dove in many years I dont even remember which type of certification I have. Do they ever expire? I only dove the east coast never here in Cali.

Your pics are awesome, make me wanna get in the water and spearfish my dinner!;)

I need to pic you brain about todays equipment and procedures, last time I bought equipment it was probably 1980.

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Hey Raul,

Technically, your basic certification doesn't ever expire (assuming you remember who you got it through), but I always tell people that if you've been out of the water for more than 5 years, it's easier just to get re-certified for your open water cert. It's fairly inexpensive ($350 for the class/dives) and also includes updates on the latest equipment, etc. I highly recommend it. Especially because you guys down south have warmer water and more 'tropical' species that we don't see up here (like Garibaldi).

Pick away, anytime you want!;)

Cheers,
Kat

wow!! awesome photos :gj:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JoshJP7

Wow those pictures are amazing... I wish I knew where you went to see all these animals... I bet it was a blaaaast!!

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Point Lobos is on the Central Coast of California, Monterey Bay. It's also by Pebble Beach where they play golf at, so you might have heard of that. It's about a 15 minute drive from my hometown, Seaside.

I've never actually gone, UNDER water and rarely IN the water cuz it's hella cold, but I still like going there.

A B S O U T E L L Y Breathtaking!!! :bow:

Not only the amazing finds, but your skills with the camera too...
Thanks for sharing!!!