Ringing in the New Year underwater

[MaxBottomtime]

A large gathering at Marineland this morning to bring in the New Year on a good note. The visibility was down a bit from my last five dives, but still good enough to find a six inch mantis shrimp in the sand.
We dropped down and Merry began shooting video while I went over to the reef to look for photo subjects. Actually, it was mostly to stay out of her way.
As I arrived at the reef I immediately found the flatworm, Pseudoceros luteus that we saw last Sunday. After a few minutes I went back to the mantis shrimp for my turn. He wouldn't come out of his den, but he did allow me to get close enough to take a few pictures.
We headed back toward the cove, stopping along the way to see the large batray that makes the edge of the reef his home, a Spanish Shawl nudibranch laying eggs and then we fed Abby before coming in.
It was cold and foggy all morning, but finally began to burn off just as we were leaving. Water temperature was 55F and visibility in most places was about twelve feet.

 

[FrankPro1]

Very cool shots Phil! Incredible clarity on those Mantis eyes! Would have liked to be there, but alas my dive partner is still under the weather. Maybe Saturday.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

We had a couple dozen divers today. There is always someone to dive with. Shhh, don't tell your buddy.

 

[BDSC]

Looks like you guys had a great time and what beautiful photos. Thanks for sharing them with us.

I remember bringing in the New Year on New Years Eve of 1999 in Bonaire. When the year 2000 started I was about 35 to 40ft deep and could look up and see the fireworks going off on shore. That's pretty cool to see underwater. And when the clock struck a minute past midnight all the dive computers kept working. Not that anyone really thought they wouldn't.

 

[FrankPro1]

Very cool experience BDSC. Bonaire night diving w/fireworks... it be pretty hard to beat that New Years.

 

[thunsaker]

I am under the weather as well and was planning to dive today in Laguna Beach. I was also scheduled to do my Drysuit certification dives Saturday, but I have cancelled in anticipation of being under the weather still so that the boat could fill my spot. If I feel better on Saturday, I might want to consider diving Old Marineland. I have not dove it before, so it would be nice to find someone who know the site. I know Wetsand is predicting swells between 2-3 feet at 19 Second intervals which, as I have learned from others who have dived it, seems to be kind of big for Old Marineland since it is rocky and slippery. But the long interval might make it manageable.

 

[fnfalman]

Phil,

Great shot of the Spanish Shawl and the eggs. I've always wondered how those things procreate. Now I know. Hehe. And great shot of the Mantis shrimp too.

I'm going to have to man up this year of 2009, go to the gym and get in some sort of shape so that I can hump the gears to Old Marineland and dive there.

 

[FrankPro1]

I'm going to have to man up this year of 2009, go to the gym and get in some sort of shape so that I can hump the gears to Old Marineland and dive there.

Trust me... I'm not the straightest arrow in the quiver and I do alright... You'll be fine..

 

[fnfalman]

Trust me... I'm not the straightest arrow in the quiver and I do alright... You'll be fine..

Nah. I really need to get in better shape. Just the walk up from Redondo Beach to Veterans Park strikes fear in my legs and back. If anything, I just want to see all those octopi that Ken is always talking about.

 

[FrankPro1]

Nah. I really need to get in better shape. Just the walk up from Redondo Beach to Veterans Park strikes fear in my legs and back. If anything, I just want to see all those octopi that Ken is always talking about.

I've scuba dived Marineland about 5 or 6 times now, and have free-dove it about 30 or 40 times..... In all those times I've only seen 1 octopus and that was in the shallows "less then 10ft". I've seen plenty of areas that look like octo dens but no octopi to be found. Marineland has sooo much there though.. Its our little slice of the channel islands right here on the peninsula. No matter what you see, you'll come away from the dive happy.