Monterey conditions. (let's keep it going )

[KRL1973]

Breakwater was nice topside today. knee high surf entry, my son and I dropped next to the pipe and followed out to metridium fields. Some surge and 10ft vis down to about 30fsw where it opened up to 20-25 vis. Lot's of brittle stars, snails and shrimp along the sand, noticed shimp liked to perch on the backs of sea stars. By the way very nice to sea the sea stars making a comeback, however still not seeing any of the sunflower stars that used to be so common. At the fields had a nice cabezon swim up and perch itself up high on a metridium covered rock and pose for video. Will post a link when I get around to editing. Fun time

video:

 

[CalTony]

MetridiumField

• CalTony
• Oct 28, 2018

Hangin out at the Metridium Field. San Carlos Beach, Monterey, CA 10/27/18

I was out there yesterday, too. That fish in your video looks familiar

 

[uspap]

Awesome shot. Very nice.

 

[MichaelMc]

Awesome friendly Harbor Seal in Breakwater middle reef. They were my dive buddy, playmate, lie on bottom (neutral) and hang out looking at each other buddy. My pinniped interaction has been achieved, I'm happy. They were my dive buddy for 15-20+ minutes. I left them alone to root about near by, and they would sometimes come over to play tug on fin, or to hang out. They did lots of fin chewing behind me or with me facing up, so I took my fins off and held them so maybe they would do that in front instead of behind me. They were very interested in that change, my small contribution to pinniped education, and moved to play with them, but never did. I held my fins the second half of the dive, they chewed on a bootie briefly, but did not hang around . And I saw them dart away once so I'm fairly sure I at least startled them with a fin-less frog kick .

3:41pm, 18' max, 70 minutes, 55 deg, vis 12', sidemount. a few feet of surge at times.
Lots of giant spined sea stars.

 

[Chavodel8en]

MetridiumField

• CalTony
• Oct 28, 2018

Hangin out at the Metridium Field. San Carlos Beach, Monterey, CA 10/27/18

I was out there yesterday, too. That fish in your video looks familiar

That's funny, I was there Saturday, and hiding within the rocks at the metridiums I saw only eyes & the "lures" on top. I thought it was probably a cabezon, now I am sure of my ID.

At least a dozen sea lions circling us at the wall. Breakwater is sometimes a "been there, done that" site, and parking and the crowds are a hassle, but as long as the viz is decent, it generally delivers a good dive.

 

[3D diver]

Fun dive along the Breakwater Friday, November 2'nd, trying out some new video lights and second checkout dove for my recently replaced drysuit hood.

Bottom time: 70 minutes
Max depth: 40 feet
Visibility: 10 to 15+ feet
Water temperature: 55 to 59.4F
Conditions: Sunny & warm. Small waves that required a little attention during entry and exit. Tide was close to the stairs when we arrived and descending.

We kicked out to the 7 and dropped into 10 foot vis---lots of sand from the recent surf, I assume, and some green life too---and cruised along a 30 to 40 foot contour staying up along the wall. There were lots of fish---Blacksmiths, female Sheephead, Rockfish & Surf Perch. We didn't spot the Barred Knife Jaw sighted by a diver in the same area.

The visibility increased to 15+ feet as we worked our way out toward the end of the wall where we were surrounded by lots of frisky Sea Lions, racing around & getting in our face. We hung out there 'til my gauge showed half-air and I twirled my finger.

We headed back along the 30 foot contour at a faster pace, pausing occasionally to film more fish. My new lights seemed to work fine---I haven't checked the footage yet---but may have upset my trim as I felt like I needed another pound or two of lead when I got into about 12 feet of water. I surfaced at the 4 & headed back to my truck, a happy diver.

 

[KRL1973]

There were lots of fish---Blacksmiths, female Sheephead, Rockfish & Surf Perch. We didn't spot the Barred Knife Jaw sighted by a diver in the same area.

"Barred Knife Jaw"?? Had never heard of that and had to look it up. I have never seen or heard of that being seen in Monterey area before (or anywhere in California for that matter). I strongly suspect that what was actually sighted was a treefish. Treefish - Wikipedia

You don't see them every dive but treefish are regularly seen and bare a similar appearance

 

[Chavodel8en]

"Barred Knife Jaw"?? Had never heard of that and had to look it up. I have never seen or heard of that being seen in Monterey area before (or anywhere in California for that matter). I strongly suspect that what was actually sighted was a treefish. Treefish - Wikipedia

You don't see them every dive but treefish are regularly seen and bare a similar appearance

Some guy posted video on one of the facebook Monterey scuba pages, and it looked legit for the Barred Knife Jaw, as he identified it.

It wasn't a rockfish type, it had a thin sideways body. If I had seen it, I would have thought it was a surfperch.

 

[KRL1973]

Some guy posted video on one of the facebook Monterey scuba pages, and it looked legit for the Barred Knife Jaw, as he identified it.

It wasn't a rockfish type, it had a thin sideways body. If I had seen it, I would have thought it was a surfperch.

Thanks, I tracked down that video, and yes, definitely not a treefish and it does appear to be the barred knife jaw.

found this article that makes the possibility more believable
Invasive Asian Fish Found in Oregon Waters

I will be on the look-out on my next dive there.

 

[stilldivin]

Pt. Lobos today, 11-9-18.
It was a beautiful, sunny day when we arrived to a very calm ocean. We could tell the visibility was going to be fantastic. At the start of the video I filmed near the ramp and it is rarely as clear as it was. We progressed out to deeper water near middle reef towards the lone metridium and ended up at about 59 feet. The kelp got a bit sparse at depth and we saw the inevitable sea urchins destroying it. We also saw soft coral and sponges, a treefish, copper rockfish and blue rockfish, a kelp greenling, anemones, egg sacks and many other critters. Water temp. 53 degrees, dive time 53 minutes.