fnfalman
Contributor
Went out with the Great Escape on Saturday. We hit Isthmus Reef, Eagle Reef and Lion's Head respectively. Isthmus Reef and Eagle Reef were awesome. Viz is probably less than 10-ft, but nice weather and no current. At depth is a chilly 50-F, this is consistent throughout the three dive sites and the same for Sunday when I went out again too. But I digress. Saw big abalones but very few large sheepheads. Very strange. At Eagle Reef, I saw a bunch of fat Horned Aeolids. I've never seen so many nudies before on this side of the island. Also saw a tiny eel with about half a dozen of cleaner shrimps at a crevice at Eagle Reef.
Sunday was planned for going out to Anacapa with the Peace boat, but the Peace canceled due to bad weather, so I started calling around. Luckily the Sundiver had room for three of us, so off we went today.
Slightly cloudy and foggy but turned out nice. Both dives were made at Big Geiger.
First dive was simply spectacular. Water was practically still; except for one spot which had ripping current, but otherwise, water condition was awesome. Viz was 20-ft at best and 10-ft at worst. 54-F on the surface but dropped to 50-F at around 60-ft or so. Saw a black sea bass around 5-ft long. Some small octos, some small lobsters and a lone tiny Spanish Shawl. Saw a sea cucumber dangling off a ledge, swaying with the water movement. Pretty weird.
Second dive was bad. Current was ripping by this time so we pretty much stayed right at the anchor point and strayed to the kelps just far enough to have reference points. Strangely enough, while fooling around the laid down kelps, I detected a 3" Navanax right next to a small (1") dead kelp crab. Don't know if the Nax was doing a bit of carrion eating or what. Then a flash of color caught my eye from another kelp leaf, so I ambled over and found a Sterns Aeolid. This sucker was easily 2" long if not bigger. This is my first time seeing a Sterns Aeolid in real life, so I was quite excited by the find. We scoured the ocean floor a bit more, but got tired of fighting the current so we called it quit and terminated the dive.
Sunday's outing wasn't optimal but still fun as hell for a person who's been stuck in Idaho.
Sunday was planned for going out to Anacapa with the Peace boat, but the Peace canceled due to bad weather, so I started calling around. Luckily the Sundiver had room for three of us, so off we went today.
Slightly cloudy and foggy but turned out nice. Both dives were made at Big Geiger.
First dive was simply spectacular. Water was practically still; except for one spot which had ripping current, but otherwise, water condition was awesome. Viz was 20-ft at best and 10-ft at worst. 54-F on the surface but dropped to 50-F at around 60-ft or so. Saw a black sea bass around 5-ft long. Some small octos, some small lobsters and a lone tiny Spanish Shawl. Saw a sea cucumber dangling off a ledge, swaying with the water movement. Pretty weird.
Second dive was bad. Current was ripping by this time so we pretty much stayed right at the anchor point and strayed to the kelps just far enough to have reference points. Strangely enough, while fooling around the laid down kelps, I detected a 3" Navanax right next to a small (1") dead kelp crab. Don't know if the Nax was doing a bit of carrion eating or what. Then a flash of color caught my eye from another kelp leaf, so I ambled over and found a Sterns Aeolid. This sucker was easily 2" long if not bigger. This is my first time seeing a Sterns Aeolid in real life, so I was quite excited by the find. We scoured the ocean floor a bit more, but got tired of fighting the current so we called it quit and terminated the dive.
Sunday's outing wasn't optimal but still fun as hell for a person who's been stuck in Idaho.
