Identification Question

[USCScubaboy]

I was at Vet's Park this afternoon with a buddy. We entered the water a few hundred feet south of the breakwall (first time down that way). Since it was our first dive around that particular area, we decided to do a simple out and back dive. Along the way, we saw tons of "holes" in the sand around 35-40 ft. On some, the sand had built up around the opening so they looked a bit like chimneys. Does anyone have any idea what created them? I saw a blenny (at least I think it was a blenny) resting in one of the holes but all the other ones were empty.

The other weird thing we saw was what looked like a small underwater sand lagoon. There was sand "bubbling" out of the lagoon that seemed very similar to the way the mud pots bubble in Yellowstone, but it was under water! Any explanation of the phenomenon would be much appreciated.

 

[USCScubaboy]

Really? No one else has seen either of these?

 

[Bubbletrubble]

Photos would help.

 

[scubadobadoo]

I have seen oil leaking/bubbling out of the ground before, almost like a deep water vent, especially farther north in Socal. Could it have been that? Some of the beaches an hour north of me (I am in Tarzana) have petroleum/oil all over the place like Refugio for example. ???? Hard to say without pics. I don't recall seeing the same petroleum gew ever at Vets though.

 

[USCScubaboy]

No. It was definitely not oil. Was just sand. And I agree, pictures would be very helpful but being a new/broke diver, I don't have an uw camera.

 

[CuracaoJ]

Jawfish maybe?

 

[Diver0001]

The other weird thing we saw was what looked like a small underwater sand lagoon. There was sand "bubbling" out of the lagoon that seemed very similar to the way the mud pots bubble in Yellowstone, but it was under water! Any explanation of the phenomenon would be much appreciated.

That ^^^^ was probably clams.

Not sure what the other thing is you saw. I would have to see it.

R..