At the crane off Haggerty's we have seen several black croakers lately. Today there were close to two hundred in a school buzzing around the crane. At times they would merge with the resident schools of Rubberlips, Rainbow sea perch and Blacksmith. A large harbor seal would occasionally shoot through the school of fish, scattering them momentarily. I tried to get close enough to get a photo of the harbor seal with my macro lens with very little luck. Every time I got within ten feet he would dash off. After awhile I noticed that when I was motionless the fish would encircle me. I wondered if they knew the seal was staying away from me so they felt safe. It helped me get a few close up shots of them.
On the crane itself were the ever present Garibaldi nests, lobsters and moray eels. Visibility was a shadowy twelve feet horizontally, but vertically we had at least thirty feet. As I ascended I could see the sand and kelp surrounding the crane, hoping to catch another glimpse of the seal. I saw 60° on the bottom with a warm thermocline at twenty feet.
On the crane itself were the ever present Garibaldi nests, lobsters and moray eels. Visibility was a shadowy twelve feet horizontally, but vertically we had at least thirty feet. As I ascended I could see the sand and kelp surrounding the crane, hoping to catch another glimpse of the seal. I saw 60° on the bottom with a warm thermocline at twenty feet.
