What's Big, Brown, and Eats Jellies?

[Vegan Shark]

Nope, it's not a cryptic riddle, just a request for a creature identification Wondering how this creature gets the nettles into its mouth. Is it just a matter of luck, with jellies floating nearby and one happens to get too close? Also, why are there so many jellies at the bottom of the breakwater wall, being feasted on by sea stars and other critters? Are these jellyfish that are at the bottom due to being weakened/dying from natural causes? Or does this just happen if they inadvertently swim too close to the bottom?

The big brown beastie is at 3:27

Breakwater, Monterey - Diving with Seals and Sea Nettles - YouTube

 

[mobeeno]

Anemone.
Nice video

 

[deadbilly]

Looks like a fisheating anemone. Urticina piscivora​. It's not brown, it's red.

 

[KRL1973]

Nice video, visability is really improving.
Were the sea lion near the end of the breakwater? that's usually where i have usually seen them in large numbers like that.
This time of year usually Mola Mola show up in numbers around breakwater. Did you happen to see any?

thanks

 

[Vegan Shark]

I wish I saw mola mola! This was actually my first time diving the Breakwater wall (during my checkout dives we had 3 ft vis, so I wasn't eager to ever go back to Breakwater) so I'm not too positive how far along it was, but it was about 40 min into the dive so I imagine it was near the end.

My first time seeing so many seals, so that made it the best dive I've had so far. Now if only I could find a leopard shark in Lobos...

 

[chillyinCanada]

VeganShark, I get a notice that you have not made the video viewable by mobile users. Are you able to fix that option? TIA

 

[Vegan Shark]

It's because a copyrighted song is used for background music, YouTube automatically disables it on mobile devices. Don't think there's anyway to fix it short of using different music.

 

[Keith.M]

I wish I saw mola mola! This was actually my first time diving the Breakwater wall (during my checkout dives we had 3 ft vis, so I wasn't eager to ever go back to Breakwater) so I'm not too positive how far along it was, but it was about 40 min into the dive so I imagine it was near the end.

My first time seeing so many seals, so that made it the best dive I've had so far. Now if only I could find a leopard shark in Lobos...

I have yet to see a Mola Mola myself, hopefully in November.

BTW, those are Sea Lions, not seals.

 

[Vegan Shark]

Even after researching the differences between sea lions and seals it seems I still can't tell them apart in the water. But hey, at least I'm not as bad as the people who see a silhouette in the murkiness and instantly think it's a great white

 

[g1138]

Fish eating anemone, like deadbilly said.

Now to tell seals and sea lions apart, it's a bit easier than you think. Sea lions swim with their front flippers like a flapping bird, while seals swim with their back, undulating like a fish. That's the main difference you'll notice underwater.
Here locally, if they're fast, blowing bubbles, and swimming loop-de-loops, they're sea lions. If they're biting your fins or swimming slowly; maybe you first mistake them for a giant fish, then they're probably a harbor seal.

On land, sea lions will bark, harbor seals will usually not be too vocal. The harbor pups however make a very cute "mum" sound.
Seals will slide and undulate kinda like caterpillar; using their fore flippers and dragging their hind flippers. Sea lions will walk/hop on all fours with their back flippers pointed sideways or forwards; Seals aren't able to articulate their hind flippers to that degree.

And more subtly seals don't have exterior ear flaps, often it's just a very subtle hole in their head. Sea lions will have little exterior ear flaps.

Here's a nice vid my friend took of some sea lions:
[video=youtube;0kX0c0MzrBo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kX0c0MzrBo[/video]