Kelpscape

Senorita Wrasse Cleans Sardines

Once sardines realize that a senorita wrasse is grooming one of their school, they descend en masse to have their own parasites removed. It seems to hurt: they flinch when the senorita nips at their gill covers. IAfter a few, the senorita becomes overwhelmed and swims off, eager sardines in pursuit. For some reason, a senorita swimming across the reef is usually left alone. n this photo, the senorita is the dark fish near center. She still seems interested in the work. She has a black halfmoon on her tail, not too visible here.

Cleaner wrasse in the tropics appear to hang out in particular spots, and to eagerly tend their customers. These cleaners seem more rushed and less interested in cleaning as their main activity.

Conditions have been great lately; despite high surf on Saturday, the visibility on the West side of Refugio Beach was better than some swimming pools I've been in, and the water was 66F at depth; 71F on the surface. 

Bat Ray Expldes from Sand

Usually it seems like the Bat Rays are sitting on the sand.  They take off when a diver approaches -- or when they get bored.

Kelp Rockfish

I thought this Kelp Rockfish looked just like Winston Churchill.  Rockfish have been few during the beginning of El Nino, but Kelp Rockfish seem to be just hanging out. Maybe their cousins will return, as well!

Angel Shark

Angel sharks, stealth predators, have not been seen in these waters for a number of years, but have returned with El Nino.  This angel shark was at Tajiguas a couple of weeks ago.

Sardines

 

 

Sardines fly upward through the kelp.

FLying Bat Ray

This bat ray headed toward me as it left its resting place amid the kelp.

Eruption of the Bat Ray

Bat rays have been common lately.  They like to rest amid the kelp. When a diver approaches too closely, they explode from their resting place and shoot off at lightning speed.  

Despite nice big surfable swell for the past week or so, underwater visibility has remained excellent, sometimes with muddy patches here and there along the bottom. The temperature has dropped a bit, to about 70F. 

Surfy Day at Refugio

Despite occasional high sets at the surf zone, the visibility was excellent at Refugio above 25' depth today. The water is now 69F at 30 ft depth, a little off the high of 72F to 75F before winds stirred it up. What little giant kelp is left on the West side is seething with senorita wrasse, with lots of schools of little purple-and-yellow blacksmith and some of the blueish bigger ones. Purple-and-orange juvenile garibaldi and brick-red young sheepshead were hiding under the ledges. A couple of schools of more than 50 pacific barracuda cruised through, and sardines came through in clouds and streams.

Stream of Silversides

Silversides formed streams and rivers amid the kelp.  But when I moved, the streams shifted instantly.

Hordes of Silversides

This incredible mass of silversides at Tajiguas today included jack mackerel and Pacific chub mackerel -- and maybe some sardines!  They all dropped to the bottom when some fast-swimming predators passed by overhead; they looked like machete to me, with sharp tails, swimming very fast. I was surprised not to see cormorants, either on shore or fishing. The water was 73F, and the visibility was certainly 100 ft in spots.  It seemed to get slightly worse further out; some cold water may still be coming in.