Where did I go with my force fins?

[sambolino44]

Here's my video of our dive at Possession Beach Waterfront Park.

[video=vimeo;30473546]http://vimeo.com/30473546[/video]

 

[Soakedlontra]

Each time we dive holding a camera we become more aware of how we use our fins and how we position our body in such a way that intrudes as little as possible in the marine environment.

 

[Bob Evans]

Soakedlontra, Starting back in 1968 with my first camera I realized the importance of balance and later created a fin for my 30 plus years of underwater photography. Thanks for bring this fact to the fore front. Your stories have captured the adventure I Cherish.

 

[Soakedlontra]

Quiz solved?

Pacific Northwest Critter Quiz:

Are these two nudibranchs the same species (the one on eelgrass younger than the one on sand)?

Are they two different animals?

Are they both juveniles of a different species?





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Today while diving at the same dive site I saw more of these guys. These time they were larger so it seems to me that all the pictures that I have been taking of them show the same species, probably a White Spotted Dendronotid (Dendronotus albopunctatus)




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There was more current than usual at the eel grass bed in 15/20ft of water but the view of hundrends of shiner perch swimming out from the jungle of bright green blades in a huge school (the largest that I have ever seen) was unforgettable. The picture that I was able to take does not do justice of what really looked like (Sam may have a better video clip). I will go back on a sunnier day hoping to see this marvel again. We entered the water south of a line of pilings (we were disappointed to see that the floating dock had been taken away. We were planning to do some filming with one of us entering the water with a giant stride from the dock...I guess it was not meant to be). The current was heading south and we swam against it. At the end of the dive I thought that we would have surfaced south of those pilings instead we were further north and I was puzzled....I certainly felt comfortable with my fins, though.




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[Soakedlontra]

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

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[sambolino44]

[video=vimeo;32183388]http://vimeo.com/32183388[/video]

 

[Soakedlontra]

[video=vimeo;32183388]http://vimeo.com/32183388[/video]

I don't know how long it took me to get my buddy's attention when all at sudden I saw a huge seal-like shadow behind him. As it always happens in these kinds of circumstances, he was busy looking at the bottom!!!!!!! We even bought an underwater noisemaker but with our thick hoods we have never been able to hear a damn thing with that device so we don't bother to take it with us anymore. It was a real miracle that he eventually looked up and filmed that short clip because that pinniped guy came and went like a ghost. It was the first sea lion that we have ever seen in WA.

 

[sambolino44]

Another dive at Possession Beach Waterfront Park on south Whidbey Island. Actually, this video is from several weeks ago, and we went diving there again today. This time I flooded my camera and my light, so this is probably the next-to-last video from me for a while.[video=vimeo;32430033]http://vimeo.com/32430033[/video]

 

[Soakedlontra]

Another dive at Possession Beach Waterfront Park on south Whidbey Island. Actually, this video is from several weeks ago, and we went diving there again today. This time I flooded my camera and my light, so this is probably the next-to-last video from me for a while.

I hoped to see and film again the amazing large school of shiner perch emerging from eel grass with better visibility that we had last time but Nature is often capricious and unpredictable...It turned out that the visibility was worse and we did not see one single shiner perch. However I was able to have another go at filming a solitary Chimaera. The flooding of the housing and the resulting damage to the little Canon Powershot A570 marks the end of a beginner's first-phase into underwater videography. We will not replace it with another A570 but with something better whenever it will be financially possible. In the meantime we will share the other little powershot S90 keeping our fingers crossed.

 

[Soakedlontra]

Here it is!
A school of shiner perch, perhaps the largest that I have ever seen!
However they did not swim out from eelgrass blades but from tires.
This is a still from my latest video that I am planning to post soon, before the end of this year.

Thankfully the ocean still keeps marveling us!​