Saw something new today

[dpbishop]

I was cruising the south wall at La Jolla Shores this evening, 55 ft deep, when I was buzzed by a cormorant . It just seemed to be cruising too, though it's cruising speed was at least double mine. I didn't know they went that deep.

And whats up with the Sea Hare orgys down there? Saw several groups of 5 - 8 Sea Hares, all piled on top of each other.

 

[justleesa]

My husband just tells me that he's seen them at 90-100'. It came by and started digging in the sand.

 

[MissyP]

I've seen cormorants at the shores dive down and swim over to check us out at 80ft, then start digging in the sand.. Pretty cool for a "duck".. lol..
The sea hares mating rings can have dozens of them, ah... entertwined in passion... For some reason they seem to be more amorous this year though..

 

[dpbishop]

They actually where mating?? Right out in the open?? That's just wrong. Somebody tell them to rent a room.

It didn't seem to be a particularly strenuous activity; of course, I don't know how strenuous I would be, doing it below the thermocline.

Wikipedia says some cormorants go as deep as 45 meters. You learn something new every day.

 

[drbill]

Cormorants are known to dive to depths of 160 ft (about 49 m). I was at 65 ft when one zoomed right up my chest to surface above me. I watched it at the surface (yep, vertical vis was > 65 ft in the dive park) and when it started diving back down, I filmed it descending and then searching for munchables on the bottom for about 75 sec.

For those who don't know about these birds, read my columns (and see the pictures) #017 and #223.

Were these black or California sea hares? Both form mating orgies of up to a dozen or more and go at it for days. See my columns #052 for the California species and #152 for the black sea hare.