Hawthorne Reef Dive Report

[MaxBottomtime]

A lot of boats and jetskis were running around Hawthorne Reef today. Their wakes knocked a few things over in our boat, but they couldn't knock the fun we had under water. We had fifteen feet vis with 53°. Kevin Lee and I spent a couple hours trying to figure out which invertebrate to shoot next while Merry played Jelly Queen in mid-water.
Hawthorne Reef is an invert paradise. It's difficult to get a photo without some small bycatch. I got a couple of Cadlina limbaughorums babysitting tinier nudis.

Cadlina limbaughorum with Cadlina flavomaculata

Cadlina limbaughorum with Triopha catalinae

Nudibranch eggs

Ida's Miter, Mitra idae

Spanish Shawl, Flabellina iodinea

Flabellina trilineata

Hermissenda crassicornis

Cadlina luteomarginata

Tritonia festiva

Triopha catalinae

Diaulula sandiegensis

Ategema alba

Cadlina flavomaculata

Doriopsilla albopuncata

Serpula columnbiana

Christmas Tree Worm, Spirobranchus spinosus

Colonial cup coral, Coenocyathus bowersi

Corynactis californica

Red Beard sponge, Microciona prolifera

Octocoral, Alcyonium rudyi

Gopher rockfish, Sebastes carnatus

 

[fnfalman]

Could you even tell that you were shooting the tiny nudies too? Or that came out after you downloaded the photos?

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I couldn't see them at all. Even the carpet of life on Hawthorne Reef has life on it.

 

[bperc]

Great photos, thanks for sharing them.

 

[FrankPro1]

:shocked2: Wowzers! What a shootout! That Triopha catalinae "with limbaugh" is insanely small! Love the San Diego Dorid shot. Great pose. The first Flabellina trilineata capture is stunning as well. Alright, you've got me foaming at the mouth for a dive. If conditions hold, expect a couple reports this week

 

[keithbt]

Even TINY Nudis! The fun never ends.....