Blue Heron Bridge Trolls III

[Scuba_Jenny]

@Pipehorse you find the dwarfs in the area I showed you last year? There is a pink one there that is really pretty..

 

[Pipehorse]

Went to the bridge for diving today, arrived at 0750 for a 9:59 high tide, the park was nearly empty, air temp was 64f. Snorkeled the trail before diving, counted at least three different Spotted Eagle Rays, some big some small. Returned from snorkeling and did a dive on the west side. Sea temp was 73f, visibility had improved to 20-25ft range with less haziness than yesterday. Did a REEF fish survey of 45 species in 65 minutes (I was too busy being entertained by Octopi to get a higher fish count).

Today seemed like a repeat of yesterday (weather and critter wise) with bonus Eagle Rays and Seahorses refusing to be outdone by Double Crested Cormorants and Octopus Helper Buddy flushing Dwarf Frogfish out of the Bryozoan Patch. (continued below)

A Double Crested Cormorant swam right below me on the snorkel trail, I did capture the image, unsure whether it is was the same one as yesterday. (continued below)

Not to be outdone a Spotted Eagle Ray put in an appearance shortly thereafter. (continued below)

Octopus Helper Buddy from yesterday not to be outdone by the Cormorant or Eagle Ray performed the same invaluable task of flushing Dwarf Frogfish out of the Bryozoan patch. This time is was a pretty White/Pink one.

On the way back in observed another photographer engrossed in a particular subject. Waited for a while, to see what it was, a Yellow/Orange Seahorse. (continued below)

I am pretty sure this is a Lined Seahorse because of the fleshy appendages over its eye and on its head. However, the distance from the end of the snout to the eye is greater than the distance from the eye to the opercular margin which is a characteristic of Long Snout Seahorse.

@Scuba_Jenny, I didn't find the Dwarf Frogfish, Octopus Helper Buddy found them. But yes in the area from last year, I think the image above is the pretty pink/white one.

 

[Green Frog]

Pipehorse, you need to give that octopus a bonus. I don’t know whether it was actually interspecies cooperation, or whether he had his own plans, but he sure did give you a “leg up”. Remember, Cousteau referred to the octopus as “soft intelligence”.

 

[PBcatfish]

... Remember, Cousteau referred to the octopus as “soft intelligence”.

I often refer to them as an appetizer, unless I find a really big one. When I had crab traps, they would sometimes show up there. I've gotten as many as 3 in a single trap, depending on what bait I had used. They tend to be pretty hard to contain once you capture them.

 

[Pipehorse]

Went to the bridge for diving today. Arrived at 0750 for a 1030 high tide, air temp was 74f. The park was nearly empty. Went snorkeling on the trail, did a REEF fish survey of 53 species in 55 minutes. Donned scuba, and entered on the west side. Sea temp of 73f, visibility improved from yesterday, 25-30ft.

Meandered past the western most part of the snorkel trail, and headed west into bryozoan and algae patches. Met @Scuba_Jenny, in the vicinity of where the Octopus had been helping me find Dwarf Frogfish. Unfortunately the Octopus was not present today, so I left it to Jenny as some other diver was kicking her in the head with their fin. A sociologist should do a study on why scuba divers do not respect personal space below the water, in the same manner as they do above the water. Is it because we don't have the ability to speak underwater? No Dwarf Frogfish, no Cormorants, and not Eagle Rays today. But there was a Striated Frogfish, and plenty of Lined Seahorses, and a Sea Hare.

Respectively, Striated Frogfish, Seahorse 1, Seahorse 2, Seahorse 3, and Sea Hare.

 

[MrChen]

so I left it to Jenny as some other diver was kicking her in the head with their fin. A sociologist should do a study on why scuba divers do not respect personal space below the water, in the same manner as they do above the water. Is it because we don't have the ability to speak underwater?

I'm sure she did something to deserve it

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

I eventually found two dwarfs where @Pipehorse was.
the first..

And an octopus nearby

Then the second froggie.. much bigger.. about the size of a dime..

A seahorse.

and a couple striated froggies

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

Imagine..
Some "vandals" should paint big dive flags on the pillars. Then nobody has to carry a flag any more...

 

[Green Frog]

I’m neither speaking in favor nor against this plan, but if this act of “vandalism” should occur prior to my next visit (in July, I hope ) it wouldn’t hurt my feelings! “I know nuthink, nuthink!”

 

[Johnoly]

Imagine.......should paint .... on the pillars.

I think on the upper cross beams they should paint.

World Famous Blue Heron Bridge Dive Site

PS> Great froggie picts !!