7-15 Monterey Pics

[Larry C]

Not posting these cause they're great pics. Conditions were terrible. 6 foot pea soup vis, and so dark at 60ft. that my wife put out a finger spool to find the anchor, even though we had a strobe on it. She was ready to call the dive before she remembered the spool. Had some happy accidents. Saw some interesting new stuff. (If anyone can identify some of these, please do.)

On this one, I was shooting the rosetta. The heavy surge flipped up the hydrocoral and when the picture snapped, the nudie (Dendronotus Albus-thanks Parabolic)was underneath. I didn't even see it till I downloaded.

I assume these are some sort of Anemones by the nudibranch. I've never seen them before.(Clam Siphons)

Saw a bunch of these tuby looking guys on the dive. They're new to me. When my wife shined her light on them they closed up, so more Anemones of some kind I presume.(Wart-neck Piddock clam's siphon)Thanks Parabolic

Last one. Interesting star, and I haven't seen this speckled nudie next to it before.(Clown Dorid?)

 

[parabolic]

Nice stuff Larry. The nudibranch in the top photo is Dendronotus albus, fairly rare. I have only seen them a few times in 30 years of diving in CA. I believe the "tuby looking guys" are clam siphons.

 

[DennisW]

Very nice. Thanks for sharing your pics.

 

[Monkey Knife-fight]

Nice stuff Larry. The nudibranch in the top photo is Dendronotus albus, fairly rare. I have only seen them a few times in 30 years of diving in CA. I believe the "tuby looking guys" are clam siphons.

Dend albus doesn't seem as rare around Monterey. I've been on dives where you can't turn your head without seeing 4 or 5. They seem seasonal like most nudis.

 

[Larry C]

Thanks guys. Ken, thanks for the ID's. I think maybe the speckled one is a Clown Dorid. I saw one like it on the BC Marine life page.

 

[parabolic]

Dend albus doesn't seem as rare around Monterey. I've been on dives where you can't turn your head without seeing 4 or 5. They seem seasonal like most nudis.

Good to know, I wasn't aware. My comment related mostly to the Channel Islands. The few times I have seen them were at San Miguel. Glad to hear they show up in Monterey, they are really beautiful.

Larry the white one with the black spots is definitely a dorid, I see them fairly often.

++Ken++

 

[Larry C]

Yeah, those guys are common as dirt up here. I've gotten to where I don't even shoot them anymore unless there's something interesting with them or a great angle or something. I also see the lemons and the yellow fringed guys pretty much every dive. The guy with the orange spots I've never seen, and I've only seen a couple of the Dendronotus Albus.

 

[Gilligan]

Great collection of shots Larry.

I especially like the first one with the Nudi and the dark background.

 

[Larry C]

Great collection of shots Larry.

I especially like the first one with the Nudi and the dark background.

Thanks Jim. Serendipity is a good thing.

 

[MarkH]

Was that last "Clown Dorid" crawling? It looks like a tunicate colony to me. I wish I could zoom in on it.