The Winter Of Our Discontent

[MaxBottomtime]

2016 has been the worst year I can remember as far as ocean conditions go. Our last dive was January 2nd. We tried once in February but aborted due to zero visibility. It seems as if the ocean swells always pick up on Fridays, messing up my only days available to dive. We had a little divine intervention this morning.

We made it to Golf Ball Reef where I expected to find devastation from the high surf of the past two months. Much to my surprise the reef looked the same as the last time we were here. Scraggly kelp and a huge lack of marine life on the bottom was a blessing and a curse. I don't know what has happened but life seems to have disappeared in the past few years.


We haven't seen more than one or two jellies where we used to see swarms. Nudibranchs, juvenile fish and even sponges have vanished. We came away from our dive feeling happy to have gotten in the water but sad that there was not much to see. Merry found a Panamic arrow crab and there were two small patches of squid eggs but very little else.

After surfacing we found the swells building and coming in short intervals. We raced back into the marina after only one dive. I'm hoping the worst is over and we can soon resume our search for the missing marine life.

The only abundant marine life were several spiny lobsters that seemed to know the season ended last Wednesday. I even saw some marching over the sand.

 

[theLeopard]

fukishima, horizon, and a myriad of other factors resulting in a depletion of marine life.
whales are starving, you can google it.

 

[tarponchik]

fukishima, horizon, and a myriad of other factors resulting in a depletion of marine life.
whales are starving, you can google it.

This all fits into just one factor: Man.

 

[theLeopard]

man had nothing to do with it.
mankind has coexisted with nature since time immemorial.

the factor is greed.

 

[Keith.M]

man had nothing to do with it.
mankind has coexisted with nature since time immemorial.

the factor is greed.

Huh? That makes no sense.

Greed is a man made thing.

 

[undrwater]

fukishima, horizon, and a myriad of other factors resulting in a depletion of marine life.
whales are starving, you can google it.

This is too small a data set to draw such conclusions. I will say, however, that the "backyard" I've been diving in for the last 11 years looks strange to me this year.

 

[drbill]

Phil & Merry... if you can put up with the damned Sargassum horneri, diving here on the island has been tolerable if not enjoyable. At least I've kept my gills from drying out.

 

[theLeopard]

yall can get scientific all you want but they want to expand shipping lanes over the great barrier reef.
the data is there if you care to collate it.

greed is destroying more than is needed to survive. ironically it's a "civilized" condition.
the 'savages' have a better understanding of natural life than any of these city slickers.

 

[keithbt]

This winter has sucked. My open water classes have been postponed quite a few times. When I do go for a dive I can see the changes clearer. Shaws Cove looks completely different and The dive park looks completely different. The only way to see the natural topography is to go deeper than the Sargassm goes. The Sargassm has taken over.

 

[raftingtigger]

Those of us how dive the Monterey area feel your pain. Weekdays (when I have to work) have tolerable conditions, but weekends suck. At least our marine life is mostly still here.