Good Conditions at Marineland today

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MaxBottomtime

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Scuba Instructor
Divemaster
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Location
Torrance, CA
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Despite the large swells we've had lately, the conditions at Marineland were very nice today. There was some current at Pt. Vicente, where we planned to dive so we headed for the Marineland Platform. Visibility was better than fifteen feet. Schools of fish hovered over the platform as we descended, and the platform itself has settled into the bottom, no longer sitting at an uphill angle. Bryozoans and corynactis anemones have made a big comeback since the platform was dragged by a squid net for the last time. It rests in the Abalone Cove State Marine Conservation Area, so hopefully there will be no more commercial boats fishing on it.
Nudibranchs are still a bit scarce. There were a few species scattered about the platform. I concentrated on the anemones and windmill worms today.

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Those windmill worms are fascinating! I've never seen anything like that.
 
Beautiful photos. Are any of the anemones backlit? They appear to be glowing.
 
Corynactis californica contains fluorescent proteins that allow their colors to be seen at depth. You can still see red and orange in the clubbed tip anemones far below the depth that these colors disappear. My strobes accentuated the colors.
 
After seeing your pictures, we had make the dive sunday to the platform. Long swim from shore and the current was running west, but we made it the buoy. Dropped down to 70' and it did not disappoint. So glad I brought my good light. Scallops and large sheepcrabs and love those strawbery anemones.
Thanks for the pictures, very nice.
 

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