5/27/2007 - When Things Go Wrong, Get Pictures

Ross-O took Merry and me out to the Radio Tower off Pt. Fermin and then to Ross' secret wreck. During the first dive I lost the diffuser to my camera and my strobe flooded...again, but not before I got a lot of images.
Most of the metridiums were open today. I only found two nudibranchs, a Diulula sandiegenses and Triopha catalinae, but the color overwhelmed my senses so much that I wasn't looking at the small stuff.
Merry spotted a juvenile Sheephead and El Cabezon Grande. He was kind enough to pose for several shots. There were a few small rockfish near the bottom of the wreck, but surprisingly few fish for such a healthy offshore artificial reef. There are several nets and fishing line on the tower, which may explain where the fish have gone.
At the secret wreck we found so many piddock clam shells that Merry's shell bottle filled in minutes. Ross moved the toilet for a better shot. The conditions were very good for dives so close to shore. There was a dirty layer in mid-water, but vis on the tower was a good fifteen feet.