scottfiji
Contributor
Dive #1 - went to Malibu Road with Jim McCabe, I'll see if he writes up a dive report, we had an awesome dive.
Dive #2 - THE GREAT DIVE THAT JIM ALMOST HAD
Date: 11/26/04
Dive Location: Sequit Point, Leo Carillo, Malibu
Time: 12:10PM
Bottom Time: 71 minutes
Max Depth: 38 feet
Vis: 20 feet, 25 in some places
Wave height: 1 feet
water Temp: 59 deg
Jim McCabe and I were at Leo, stating to suit up for our 2nd dive, when he got a call telling him to come home. So I had to go solo, and what a dive Jim missed! Didn't bring my camera, so everyone will have to take my word.
Dropped down into 8 feet (yes, eight) of water, schooling perch everywhere, a giant kelpfish to my left, a cabezon to the right (both in the open), and a flutter of something that went behind a rock.. could it be, yes! A free-swimming octopus. I went to the other side of the rock, gave him my hand, he gently wrapped himself around my hand and arm; I scratched his arms and head for him, and we checked each other out in the open for about 10 minutes. Even when free to escape, he only travelled a few feet, and then settled down in the open and let me stroke him again.
Fast forward 10 minutes - I'm in the sand, moving slowly, and I look up, and a 4 1/2 foot bat ray is laying in the sand, 24 inches from my face. I move closer, and we are now face-to-face, 1 foot apart! He slowly turns and swims away, circling around, and then lies down again. I repeat the process, coming right next to him, gently petting him before he slowly takes off. What a trooper!
Schools of opaleye, rainbow sea-perch, rubberlip sea-perch, croakers, blacksmith and pile perch filled the thick kelp forest. A family of large chestnut cowries nuzzled together in a crevice. Outside the kelp forest, on the sand, I looked below me, and there was a 3 1/2 foot halibut, unburied. I backed-up, lied down in front of him, and slowly inched forward. He let me scratch his chin for a few seconds before slowly moving away to a nearby spot. Another trooper.
I also spotted an acanthodoris lutea during the dive, my first one.
http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet.cfm?base=acanlute
Another cabezon was spotted, along with two unidentified homo sapiens, another giant kelpfish, a spanish shawl, some lobster, and a lemon nudibranch. And the usual suspects. What a great dive! It would have been better if Jim made it, but he had to go. Such beautiful red colors in the shallows (7-20 feet), the sun was shining bright. A good day to dive!
Scott
Dive #2 - THE GREAT DIVE THAT JIM ALMOST HAD
Date: 11/26/04
Dive Location: Sequit Point, Leo Carillo, Malibu
Time: 12:10PM
Bottom Time: 71 minutes
Max Depth: 38 feet
Vis: 20 feet, 25 in some places
Wave height: 1 feet
water Temp: 59 deg
Jim McCabe and I were at Leo, stating to suit up for our 2nd dive, when he got a call telling him to come home. So I had to go solo, and what a dive Jim missed! Didn't bring my camera, so everyone will have to take my word.
Dropped down into 8 feet (yes, eight) of water, schooling perch everywhere, a giant kelpfish to my left, a cabezon to the right (both in the open), and a flutter of something that went behind a rock.. could it be, yes! A free-swimming octopus. I went to the other side of the rock, gave him my hand, he gently wrapped himself around my hand and arm; I scratched his arms and head for him, and we checked each other out in the open for about 10 minutes. Even when free to escape, he only travelled a few feet, and then settled down in the open and let me stroke him again.
Fast forward 10 minutes - I'm in the sand, moving slowly, and I look up, and a 4 1/2 foot bat ray is laying in the sand, 24 inches from my face. I move closer, and we are now face-to-face, 1 foot apart! He slowly turns and swims away, circling around, and then lies down again. I repeat the process, coming right next to him, gently petting him before he slowly takes off. What a trooper!
Schools of opaleye, rainbow sea-perch, rubberlip sea-perch, croakers, blacksmith and pile perch filled the thick kelp forest. A family of large chestnut cowries nuzzled together in a crevice. Outside the kelp forest, on the sand, I looked below me, and there was a 3 1/2 foot halibut, unburied. I backed-up, lied down in front of him, and slowly inched forward. He let me scratch his chin for a few seconds before slowly moving away to a nearby spot. Another trooper.
I also spotted an acanthodoris lutea during the dive, my first one.
http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet.cfm?base=acanlute
Another cabezon was spotted, along with two unidentified homo sapiens, another giant kelpfish, a spanish shawl, some lobster, and a lemon nudibranch. And the usual suspects. What a great dive! It would have been better if Jim made it, but he had to go. Such beautiful red colors in the shallows (7-20 feet), the sun was shining bright. A good day to dive!
Scott