6/14/2006 - No Eel, But A Fun Dive

Date: June 14, 2006
Dive Location: Marineland
Buddy(ies): Solo
Time: 10:00
Bottom Time: 1:04
Max Depth: 62'
Vis: 10-20'
Wave height: 0-1'
Temp at depth: 51F
Comments: I brought some squid with me this time to lure the Mantis shrimp and Pacific Snake Eel out of their burrows. I couldn't find either one. I headed over to the Point and visited the old regulars, Nudibranchs, Octopus, Gorgonian, etc. It's been awhile since I was there. On the way back I looked again for my new friends with no luck. I think the eel's burrow may have been hidden under sand. A large Sea Lion buzzed me a few times while I was searching for the eel. After being bitten by one at Marineland, I'm a bit leery of them, especially when I have a bag of squid attached to my forearm.
The vis opened up to twenty feet on the main reef thanks to the 51F water coming in with the tide this morning. It was about ten feet in the cove, so I swam in underwater until I reached three feet of depth, got up and walked out. Easy. This time. :)
Gopher Rockfish

Yellow Zoanthid anemones
 

Sea Lemon nudibranchs doing the nasty

Very large Sheepcrab

Stalked Tunicate

Kellet's Whelks laying pumpkin seeds everywhere

Painted Greenling

Praya sp. siphonophore

Treefish with two Zebra gobies above his head

Bones, possibly from the Lingcod left on the trail by the jerk last month

Chestnut cowrie