Kelpscape

Sand Storm at Coal Oil Point

It was a windy day Sunday as a cold front moved down the coast.  The west wind wrapped around the bluffs at Coal Oil Point, driving big wind waves and spraying sand along the beach. Aside from the ocean, this looks a lot like photos of the surface of Mars.

Dragonfly at Gaviota

What's so interesting about that seed stalk?  I thought that dragonflies were carnivores!

Piddocks

Piddocks at Refugio Beach.  I like the fractal patterns on feeding filters.

Young Anemone

Chestnut Cowrie

Chestnut cowrie at Refugio Beach.  I think that this is the head end because of the eyestalk poking out.  There's actually another eyestalk, to the left, but it had retracted by the time I got around to making this shot. I guess I was worth only one eyestalk, once the novelty had worn off.

Feather Duster Worms

Feather duster worms, growing on the underside of a ledge at Refugio Beach.  I like the way you can see the tubes where the worms live.

Tubesnouts at Refugio

Tubesnouts often travel in schools, particularly the young ones.  There have been a lot this winter, both young and old.

Diving Brown Pelicans

I've heard the claim that pelicans hit the water vertically because there's no correction for refraction at the air-water interface at that angle.  Some of the bird books say that only browns, never whites, dive straight down into the water.

This one didn't: it enters at an angle.

The impact must be hard on their brains.  Or, maybe their brains have an elastic suspension system, like those of woodpeckers.  These pelicans were fishing off Refugio Beach.  Underwater, I saw a school of big, terrified sardines and a 200-lb sea lion.

Buffalo Sculpin

I think this is a buffalo sculpin because of the narrow row of scales along the back, and the mouth (extending back to mid-eye).  Also a spine is barely visible atop the gill cover.  He certainly has a large head.  He was on the rock reef at Refugio Beach.  These fish always remind me of the Bob Marley song "Buffalo Sculpin, dreadlock Rasta". 

Anacapa

Anacapa Island at sunset, seen from a small plane on the hop from LAX to SBA.  I always wish I could stop and get out, set up a tripod and try different angles.