Our long national nightmare is over. Merry Passage has returned to diving. She had been on the disabled list for six months following a tragic accident involving a dock cleat and her baby toe. Recovery time was longer than expected and it was taking a heavy toll on her.
She used the time off to organize her photos and videos from the past decade into a wonderful collection geared toward divers and biologists looking for identifications and a bit of education along with it. Her new site is Merry Passage
Does this shirt make me look young?
After an aborted dive yesterday we returned to the water off Palos Verdes early this morning. Once again the sea was flat but visibility was poor and it was dark on the reefs. Our first stop was Halfway Reef. Merry finally got to see the Bispira turneri worm that Kevin Lee and I had been photographing for a few months.
The usual critters were out, but there was one big surprise to be had. Last year Merry found a Thordisa rubescens at Golf Ball Reef. There had been less than a handful of sightings before that. We later found several more including mating pairs and a few laying eggs. We found the motherload, but they were only found at GBR...until today. I found one laying eggs at Halfway Reef a few miles away from Golf Ball Reef. That means there is at least one more in the area.
Thordisa rubescens laying eggs
Semicossyphus pulcher, Sheephead, with mottled night-time coloration
Navanax inermis
Navanax eggs
Bispira turneri
Peltodoris nobilis
Polycera tricolor
Clathria Parthena, Red Beard sponge
At Golf Ball Reef for our second dive I found another Thordisa on the rock I found last Sunday loaded with eggs and three of the large, red nudis. Merry isn't the only one making a big comeback.
Thordisa rubescens
Thordisa rubescens eggs
Berthella californica
Berthella californica mating pair with nearby egg coil. Notice the gills of each nudibranch extended.
Doriopsilla albopunctata mating pair
Acanthodoris hudsoni mating pair
Peltodoris mullineri
Scorpaena guttata, California scorpionfish
Rathbunella hypoplecta, Bluebanded Ronquil
Link: DiverMerry.com
