Dirty Day in the Bay

[MaxBottomtime]

Merry and I joined Captains Andy and Patrick aboard the Moby Kate for a few dives in Santa Monica Bay this morning. We've been spoiled all year by great visibility and unusual large fish encounters, but today was more like the way I remember the bay. We had limited visibility on the outfall pipe and elevated pipe, and hardly any visibility at all on the Star of Scotland. Still, it was a great day to be diving the bay. Andy and Patrick limited on lobster on their first dive, while Merry and I found two Trapania velox nudibranchs on the elevated pipe.
The weather couldn't have been nicer, the boat didn't break down and Andy didn't have to make any boat launch rescues, so this day goes in the Wonderful category.
Pictures at
Wreckreational Diving - Dirty Day In The Bay

 

[FrankPro1]

Great shots! I've never seen any of those Trapania's before. Quite rare? I've been dry for two weeks now. Hoping for some good conditions next week, but doesn't look like were gonna get it.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

They were the first ones I've seen in 1472 dives. I saw pictures that someone got on the pipe last month, so I was looking for them today. So far I've found 56 species of nudis, most of them at Marineland. I have about 104 to go.

 

[FrankPro1]

They were the first ones I've seen in 1472 dives. I saw pictures that someone got on the pipe last month, so I was looking for them today. So far I've found 56 species of nudis, most of them at Marineland. I have about 104 to go.

I've got 14 species in 67 dives, with 13 of them found on the Palos Verdes peninsula "10 being first sighted at Marineland". The odd ball out being this Catalina Triopha which I found clinging to a pier piling at Scorpion Anchorage, Santa Cruz Island. 104 to go? There's that many nudi species here in So Cal?

 

[MaxBottomtime]

160 total. I've got 42 at Marineland. We need to look harder.

 

[LLKZ16]

Great Shots Phil!!

The Trapania Velox is way cool but I also like the Acanthodoris Lutea (Yellow Horned Dorid) shots too.

Looks like you guys had a great time. Hopefully conditions get better soon.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

We went to Marineland this morning. It's nice and flat again but the water looked a little gray. We watched eight new divers head straight to the 120 Reef, two coming back from the point and Scottfiji, Kalani, Walt, Mary and Dana gearing up. There were two other divers, one who was yelling and cussing at his buddy while gearing up. Sounds like a fun dive for the buddy.
The screamer drove a giant pickup with the license plate DC LAWYER. He was a big guy gearing up in a 119 or 130 for the walk down. Naturally, he had a handicap placard in his monster truck so he could park in the first space.

 

[DwayneJ]

The vis around Palos Verdes has been awful and I had a not so fun low vis open water ascent on Friday night. Last night the sea conditions were so good, we zipped over to Catalina for two dives. Vis was outstanding 100+, incredible marine life including an electric ray and thousands of baby lobsters, nudi's etc.

Wife stole the camera so I could not take any underwater pictures or video. I need to hit the store today and get my own camera to permanently mount in my waterproof case.

No cussing allowed on my buddy's or my boat.

Dwayne

 

[scottfiji]

Phil - glad you found the trapania velox. Congrats! Were those my Trapania photos from the pipe you saw? nice seeing you and Merry today. Btw, I didn't suit up today, I was just surface support and breakfast provider for Dana, K-Man and Mary.

Frank -the trapania's are very uncommon. I've seen about 60 or 70 nudibranch species during all my so-cal dives total.

Here's a link to the southern california underwater field guide showing all of the nudibranchs that I've seen, click on the ophistopbranch page. It also shows which ones are "rare".

I also created a page with nudibranch photography tips in case you are interested.

 

[DwayneJ]

Poor vis off Palos Verdes again tonight and the Coast Guard is calling for a Gale watch Tuesday.