Giant Stingray, Red Hots, and Snow.. Sharks Cove Christmas!

[VBlueV]

okay.. late season surfy "Christmas" dive at sharks cove today..

Christmas! you ask? in october?
well.. first [because i entered with a giant stride off the very eastern end of the lava flat..
i was able to swim all the way to the mouth of log-cabins.. along the way..]
i found the Christmas room! a large overhang.. overgrown with cnidarians or
snowflake white soft feathery corals..
the room was blooming with 'em.. looked like freshly fallen snow

then i found my first RED HOTS.. err.. a red-spotted nudibranch..
looks like it's spotted with those Christmas candies.. red hots.. mmmm.. cinnamon

on my return.. i was swimming toward the entry of the cavern 'neath the little elevator shaft..
when, out of the corner of my eye, i saw a big boulder move..
woah! not a rock!.. a GIANT STINGRAY! THANK YOU SANTA!
5 feet across [each wing was 2 feet and its centerline hump was at least 1 foot wide!]

and, nose to tail.. at least 8 to 10 feet long!

here's the slide show..
Sharpcast Slideshow

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL! AND TO ALL.. A GOOD DIVE!

 

[Speargirl]

Awesome pictures!!!!!!
Bet your heart was racing when your rock moved and you saw it was a large stingray.
Glad you had a good time.

 

[blesi varney]

Love that nudibranch.

 

[crab lover]

I'll be on the lookout for them tomorrow!!!

 

[Isurus9]

nice pics JJ

 

[bcyber]

Cool pics bro...wish I was with you that day. Great pic of the red-spotted nudibranch. Glad you made it back without any barbs in ya!

 

[VBlueV]

..Great pic of the red-spotted nudibranch.
Glad you made it back without any barbs in ya!

yeah, you know right?..
about a third of the way up his tail.. there were three sharp barbs.. OUCH! :11:
that would'a hurt in the morning

anyways.. 'went dry for 5 whole days.. but today.. 'just couldn't wait anymore..
[general called "pau hana" at the end of the call].. so 'headed for the north-shore

and, it was still Christmas at sharks cove!
in over two years of diving.. 'only saw my first red-spotted nudibranch last week..
now, this evening.. 'found my second one ever!
[sorry for the excitement.. just a nice change from all the imperials ]

then.. 'found a cool Christmas-tree ornament too

 

[MeiLing]

Great pics!

 

[VBlueV]

October Christmas continues in Sharks Cove :rudy:

as halemano said in another thread..

Great critters in ave vis beats ave critters in great vis any day!

along those same lines..
here's a Monk Seal swimming along the front of the lava flat at Sharks Cove this week..
this seal was phat and fat! looked to be 300-400 lbs! :biggrin3:

i saw the tags on its hind flippers.. but i couldn't get close enough to read the numbers..

this is the third time i've seen a Monk Seal while in the water..
but only the first time i've had my camera.. finally

here's some video.. after it was tired of me following it around..


Video of Monk Seal in Sharks Cove - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

 

[oboist]

You know JJ if you didn't post pictures I would start to think you were lying. I think its time to take me up to the north shore, haven't made it up there yet, and the season is coming to an end... *sigh*

Its also kinda sad, when here in Hawaii we get excited about Christmas being.......fun stuff under the water.... *smirk*

Nice stuff!