Completely Unscientific Survey of NorCal Critters

[Chavodel8en]

So like many of you, I cant dive, so I find myself think about my past dives. So here is a recounting of my critter encounters (_____ denotes no encounters - yet). Please feel free to copy to add your encounters, and add critters. I mostly shore dive in Monterey/Carmel sites.

Most Common Critter: Blue Rockfish ( or Black Rockfish - i cant tell the difference)

Big Fish:
Landlord: ________
Leopard Shark: Lobos, Sea Mount, 5' long

Mola Molas: Metridium Fields, 3' diameter; Honeymoon Rocks

Cephalopods:
GPO, Alive: _________
GPO, Dead: Breakwater,
Humboldt Squid: _______ (there were sighting a few years back)

Eels:
Wolf Eel: Lobos, Middle Reef - E, big sucker
MonkeyFish Eel: ________

Mammals
Whale, Underwater: ________
Whale, Surface: S. Monastery, Humpback about 150 yards away
Dolphins: _________
Sea Lions: Often, end of the Breakwater
Seal, Pull on Fins: Often, various locations
Seal, Close Encounter: McAbee, Seal jumped on my back (underwater) & took a ride
Otter, Underwater: __________

Birds:
Deepest sighting of a Cormorant: 40' Breakwater

Crustaceans:
Bug: N. Monastery
Sheep Crab: Often, esp Breakwater

Other:
Sea Turtle: ________

Fish:
Male Terminal Sheepshead: Frequent, Lobos
Lingcod: Frequent, everywhere
Cabezon: Less frequent, various

Favorite Critter: Vermillion Rockfish

 

[dshorwich]

Most Common Critter: these days, probably Purple Urchins (sigh)

Just a few highlights:

Big Fish:

Mola Molas: only dead'uns
Leopard Shark: Pt. Lobos (inside Whaler's Cove)
California Halibut: in the sandy shallows at Breakwater
White Sturgeon: Coral St

Saw basking sharks on the surface off of Morro Bay; I suppose that's not NorCal, but it was still pretty cool.

Cephalopods:

GPO: Coral St

Eels:

Wolf Eel: Breakwater jetty, So. Monastery

Mammals:

Otter, Underwater: Breakwater jetty

Favorite Critter: Sunflower Stars (sob). I also have a soft spot for Monkeyface Pricklebacks.