A Good Buddy

[b1gcountry]

A good dive buddy will bring you to their favorite sites and show you around. They will point out all the interesting critters and tell you about the local marine life. They will keep an attentive eye on you, and know where you are at all times without constantly.

...but a great buddy will bring some jugs of warm water for you to warm yourself up with after the dive because you flew in from St Louis, and only brought your wetsuit to dive with in the 54* water of Puget Sound!

Thanks a lot Bob for the dives on Monday and Tuesday. And thanks to Colleen, Tim, Kristen, and Kirby for coming along. Diving in Puget Sound was a real treat. I hope to do it again next time I'm in the area.

Tom

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

It was a pleasure, Tom ... look forward to doing it again sometime ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[TSandM]

Yes, among the many great things Bob taught me was the jug of hot water in the back of the car -- a very civilized habit, indeed.

Glad to hear you had a good time, and sorry I didn't get to meet you. Next time!

 

[do it easy]

As soon as you got to the jug of warm water, I knew you were talking about Bob!

 

[b1gcountry]

Definitely something I will start doing. Especially diving wet.

BTW, Bob, some questions about the marine life...

IIRC the small fish with the tall dorsal fin was a Sailfin Sculpin, the little ones we saw at Redondo were Grunt Sculpins, we saw Warbonnets hiding at Cove 2, and the Eel looking things at redondo were Longfin Gunnels, correct?

The anemones are Plumrose anemones, or Plumose?

What were the large starfish called?

I remember seeing three nudibranchs, one was yellow with two horns, one was translucent with wavy ridges, and the third was whitish with pointy "thorns" do you know names for any of these?

Let me know the next time you guys are heading up to Nanaimo for the weekend. I am interested in heading up there sometime.

Tom

 

[TSandM]

The anemones are plumose anemones, or metridiums. The large, colorful sea stars are the vicious predators (do it easy's nemesis), sunflower or California sea stars, genus picnodia. Here's a link to an article about them.

I'm not sure from the descriptions which nudibranchs you saw, but one of our common ones is the Alabaster nudibranch. The yellow one might have been a Monterey dorid. The translucent one stumps me . . . Bob, what did you guys see?

 

[do it easy]

Yes, those Cali sea stars are the most viscious predators in Puget Sound. Don't swim too slowly or they will devour you!

 

[scubak]

Glad you had a great time here in PS...
It was wonderful to meet you and dive. Redondo is a wonderful place. Almost sometimes boring but you never know what you will find there. I always think of this place as one that "it is what you make it"!
It's a great site, truly.
Glad you enjoyed your trip.
Kirsten

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Lynne got 'em all except the "thorny" whitish one ... that was a diamondback tritonia (tritonia festiva) ... The Sea Slug Forum - Tritonia festiva

At Redondo we saw longfin gunnels, penpoint gunnels, crescent gunnels, and saddleback gunnels ... it's just that time of year, and there's something about that site that seems to attract them ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[b1gcountry]

Actually, I think Lynne is right. I don't remember seeing anything like the Tritonia festiva. I definitely saw an Alabaster one, although I didn't know what it was at the time.

That was my first time in the Pacific other than Hawaii, and I didn't know anything about marine life when I dove there. I'm excited...It's like a whole 'nother Ocean of critters! Okay, it's EXACTLY like that.

Tom