Giant Sea Bass... Finally "Unskunked"

[drbill]

Divers have been seeing giant sea bass for about six weeks in the dive park (including many doing a Discover SCUBA dive), but I'd been skunked every time I dove. Then my son Kevin came out Memorial Day weekend to dive with me and we saw many.

When diving solo I usually follow a profile that takes me deep (to 95-100 fsw) and then up through the kelp to the shallow open areas. And I usually have my head down filming critters on the bottom. On these dives we stayed at 40-50 fsw (about where the thermocline had been) and I looked out and up. My son found about half of them. He has much better eyes than this old geezer.

 

[undrwater]

I see kelp! What were the temps?

 

[DJ457]

I dove there on Saturday. 65F at 70'

 

[drrich2]

Nice shots! I'd like to see & get snap shots of those guys up close.

Richard.

 

[drbill]

Kelp is coming back far better than I expected at the SE end of the park. I think that's what is drawing the giant sea bass in as kelp is limited at most other sites so far. I think the cooler water coming up off the harbor mouth has been responsible for maintaining the kelp at that end throughout the warm water period

 

[drbill]

A few shots of a male tending his lady friend