Filty, dirty scuba diving

[MaxBottomtime]

Visibility off the west side of Palos Verdes was eight feet this morning...and that was in the clear areas. In other spots, especially in mid water it was half of that. Merry and I stuck it out for an hour before heading back home.
Most of the animals were hiding as if it was night time on the reef. The few I did find were tiny. The water was uncomfortably warm for Palos Verdes with 57° on the reef and 70° at the surface.

 

[Bubblesong]

Do you ever include some scale in photo to show how tiny these creatures are? I was surprised to learn these nudibranchs are tiny as a grain of rice, if that!

 

[MaxBottomtime]

The two on the black slate are about 3/8" long while the others are between one and two inches. Some of the ones we find, especially Corambes and almost invisible to the naked eye. I will spot something that looks slightly different than the substrate it is on, then zoom in to see if it is an animal. More often than not it is.


I found this tiny Cuthona albocrusta on a small piece of rusty metal.

Actual size. I'm wearing blue drygloves.

 

[Beau640]

Holy crap I had no idea those pictures were of something that small. The dry glove for scale is amazing.

 

[flyboy08]

As always amazing shots! I'll never ever see that myself as I'd need heated gear.....70 is about 10 degrees too cold for my delicate skin

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I was sweating in my drysuit. As soon as I got out of my gear I turned my bunny suit inside out to dry.

 

[flyboy08]

I was sweating in my drysuit. As soon as I got out of my gear I turned my bunny suit inside out to dry.

Wussy is me