Rare eggs and swimming scallops at White Point Rock

Merry and I went to White Point Rock to exchange thermographs for the Catalina Marine Society. We placed one next to the reef fourteen months ago, so it should have plenty of data to collect. After retrieving the old one Merry went to work on video while I scoured the small reef for interesting macro critters.
Dr. Jeff Goddard told us that nobody has pictures of Ategema alba eggs, so we've been looking for them every time we dive here. We named one area on the rock Ategema Valley for the number of the not-so-attractive nudis we see there. The moment I reached the valley I spotted the largest Ategema alba I have ever seen, and it was laying eggs! I fired off several shots, then went to tell Merry the news. She was still sprawled across the sand with the video lights on, so I left her alone. I should have gone over there, as she made a cool discovery as well. She got some great footage of San Diego Scallops, Pecten diegensis flittering across the sand.


Rough Patch Shrimp


Corynactis californica with Serpulid columbiana


Ategema alba with eggs



[youtubehq]a1xIQvx0i60?hd=1[/youtubehq]

The swimming scallops are soooo cooolll!!! I've seen them in those fancy anarctica documentaries, never thought that SoCal water would have swimming scallops.

I had never seen one until a dive at Marineland last week, then Merry found two at White Point. I guess I was looking in the wrong places.

We have them in a lot of places in the PNW. They never fail to make me laugh hysterically. I am always reminded of a Saturday morning cartoon of animated, clacking false teeth.

Amazing footage of the swimming scallop!!

I would love to see one swimming out in the open some day. Notice how all of the fish start to gather around it.

Great job Merry!!

Another first in So Cal marine life documentation for the No Pressure Duo! Congrats on the Ategema alba egg find No matter what the visibility, WPR never seems to disappoint, so much to see on such a small reef.