Went to see an old friend today

[MaxBottomtime]

Merry and I dived the point at Marineland this afternoon for the first time since January. Our Lady of the Garden is sporting a fancy thick coat of marine life.

Merry found a large Ategema alba near the statue. It's the second one she's found in a month.

The rest of the obligatory slug photos...

Berthella californica

Doriopsilla albopunctata

Flabellina iodinea

Hermissenda crassicornis

Mexichromis porterae

Cadlina luteomarginata

The point was flat at the beginning of the dive, but by the time we ascended it was Victory at Sea. 51F, 12-15 feet vis.

 

[Codyjp]

It is hard to even tell what it is anymore. The PV area has been looking very nice lately so people better get out there!

 

[TSandM]

A slug-rich dive, the best kind! Thanks for sharing the photos.

 

[FrankPro1]

Nice Set. That Ategema alba looks really funky, one of the strangest "dorid-style" nudis I've ever seen. Charlie and I were going to hit Long Point yesterday but decided to do the hike at Christmas Tree instead. Explored the pinnacles off the far point. Vis was a solid 15+ and we encountered a guitar fish as well as the normal cast of characters. An incredible amount of fishing boats out on the peninsula yesterday, zooming here and there. I think they finally convinced me to start bringing out my flag/float or at least a safety sausage.

Also was there a heavy thermocline at Long Point? Christmas tree was 66 at the surface and 54 at depth! Quite chilly for this time of year.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

The thermocline was at 22 feet yesterday. We had 51F at 62', so the thermocline felt tropical.
Merry received a SeaLife DC800 as a retirement gift last year. Her P&S without manual controls, no close-up lens and a single strobe has been blowing my photos out of the water lately. Grrr.

 

[Divebum Don]

Those Mexi's are BRILLIANT!