Kelpscape

Octopus Recoils

Now my acquaintance the octopus decides to leave his burrow. I hope that he found our subsequent conversation interesting.

Octopus Coils

The octopus coils back from its spot beneath a hydroid. Its eye spot is pretty bright in this image: a scary sight, for those who prey on small invertebrates.

Bubbles

Two bubbles, at the top of a cloud of bubbles. Somewhere below me a diver exhaled. Bigger bubbles rise faster than smaller ones; they trail clouds of smaller bubbles that break from the edges and fall behind. Sometimes the big ones split in half.   It's a fun thing to watch, as a diver waits out a safety stop in open water.

Bubble

I Want To Believe. This is an air bubble from a diver's breath deep below.  But, it looks like a UFO. I was at about 15 feet depth, and the bubble is probably about 4 inches across. 

Kelp

Macrocystis Kelp off the Southeast End of Santa Rosa Island.
 

A Gazillion Tiny Senorita Wrasse

Perhaps the El Nino is the reason that a gazillion tiny Senorita Wrasse are in the water of the South Coast Beaches.  The only other species competing are Blacksmith Damselfish. 

Related articles

El Nino and La Nina will exacerbate coastal hazards across entire Pacific

Refugio on Black Friday

On the reef at Refugio I spotted a horn shark; I haven't seen one of those in years! Also enjoying the day were two octopi, one using the shell of a topsnail for a door; a dozen juvenile Garibaldi; a tiny abalone, about 2 inchss across; and a gazillion tiny Senorita Wrasse. Visibility was over 25 ft and the water was 63F.

The Hidden Giant Kelpfish

Giant kelpfish can be tiny; but they can also be big.  Quite a few big ones have been around lately, although they are shy, and expert at disappearing in the blink of an eye.

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.