Night dive sounds and sights - please help me solve the mystery

[geoff w]

After our night dive last Friday, I did some research but couldn't find answers, so thought I'd ask the local experts here

Throughout our dive, which was off the beach at Malibu Rd and we only got down to maybe 25 feet, we kept hearing what almost sounded like frogs croaking underwater. We were too far from shore for it to be waves crashing, and there weren't any boats on moorings as far as we could tell. Lots of fish out throughout the dive. Anybody hear anything like this before and have any idea what it could be?

In the sand there were lots of little white things sticking up, but they would pull back into the sand when a light stayed on them. They almost looked like the back end of little crabs or squid, and I assume it was some little critter feeding. Smaller than the tip of my pinky. Again, any idea what these could be?

 

[Dive California]

Could be Brown Croakers, otherwise known as White Seabass...people are catching now now.

 

[mala]

great whites make a sound like frogs when they hunt.

 

[John A Lewis]

It could signify the rising of cthulhu--but probably not.

 

[mfalco]

Toadfish?

 

[Sam Miller III]

Members of the croaker family of fish

 

[geoff w]

great whites make a sound like frogs when they hunt.

My wife kept imagining sharks just beyond our lights, so maybe it was the Jaws theme coming out her ears

---------- Post added ----------

Could be Brown Croakers, otherwise known as White Seabass...people are catching now now.

Members of the croaker family of fish

I never realized white seabass were in the croaker family, but based on the description and looking it it, it does make sense, since we saw some white seabass in the kelp. Thanks!

 

[Divebum Don]

You're lucky if you two saw some WS while blowin' bubbles on SCUBA. These guys are very elusive and rare to encounter with out being quiet with a snorkel and long fins.

 

[geoff w]

You're lucky if you two saw some WS while blowin' bubbles on SCUBA. These guys are very elusive and rare to encounter with out being quiet with a snorkel and long fins.

We were around kelp beds, and I never said we saw them, only heard them. Besides WS, we could have heard California corbina or something similar, which are also in the croaker family (I'm terrible at fish ID). Main thing is the mystery was probably solved (i.e., something in croaker family). Next time I'll try to figure out where the sound is coming from, now that I have a better idea of what I'm looking for

 

[Divebum Don]

"since we saw some white seabass in the kelp"

"I never said we saw them"

Corbina are easy to catch and delicious...

Be safe Out There!