diver.net

Ending the year on a high note


Scuba Diving on the Great Escape Southern California Live-Aboard Dive Boat


[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ California Scuba Diving BBS ] [ FAQ ]

Posted by Max Bottomtime on December 31, 2015 at 21:04:25:

2015 was not the best year for my logbook. I failed to break 100 dives for the first time in many years. Between bad conditions, oral surgery, boat mechanical issues and overtime at work it felt as if I would have to turn in my C-card. Add to all that the deaths of two divers that shook me and it was not a very good year.

Merry and I returned to the water today for the first time together in over two months. Although the water temperature has returned to normal the reefs are still devoid of life compared to last year. Merry's Reef was particularly absent of the variety of rockfish and nudibranchs we had become accustomed to.

 photo Merrys Reef 8_zpszdh3euvy.jpg

 photo Merrys Reef 6_zpsppwek62b.jpg

 photo Merrys Reef 1_zps6qjopolj.jpg

 photo Merrys Reef 9_zpsltqknogk.jpg

 photo Merrys Reef 7_zpswjo2oasl.jpg
Hey! Where did that Garibaldi go?

 photo Merrys Reef 5_zpsf8lniv9x.jpg
This sponge thought it was Halloween instead of New Year's Eve

 photo Merrys Reef 3_zpslm8wkmq9.jpg

 photo Merrys Reef 2_zpsjdppvtgh.jpg

We tried a different area of Hermosa Artificial Reef in hopes of getting better photos of the California Broomtail groupers but only found small reef fish. The only highlight was a large gray moon sponge on a piling that reminded me of the large specimens at Shaw's Cove.

 photo Hermosa Reef 4_zps5bghvi5k.jpg

 photo Hermosa Reef 1_zpsgrx7b7sj.jpg

 photo Hermosa Reef 3_zpsoffpfnc1.jpg

 photo Hermosa Reef 2_zpslqj0rged.jpg

Visibility was poor at Hermosa, but we may try again at slack tide tomorrow. It would be a nice start to a better year.



Follow Ups:


Name:
E-Mail:
Subject:
Message:
Optional Link URL:
Optional Link Title:
Optional Image URL:
Post Background Color: White     Black
Post Area Page Width: Normal   Full
You must type in the
scrambled text key to
the right.
This is required to
help prevent spam bots
from flooding this BBS.
capcha
Text Key:

      


diver.net