Monterey Bay Jellies Jan-Mar 2012

[Larry C]

So far this year, we've had an amazing variety of Jellyfish and Salps in the bay. Safety stops have been great fun, chasing around tiny, mostly transparent creatures and trying to focus on something akin to a piece of saran wrap under water. We've also had some bigger versions of some we've only seen in their smaller form. Here is a collection, many of which include hitchhiking crabs and isopods.

Salp Chain
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h240/Larry_C/Monterey%20Diving%202012/1-14-12%20Ballbuster/DSC_1360psesm.jpg

Solitary Salp floating at the surface
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h240/Larry_C/Monterey%20Diving%202012/1-14-12%20Ballbuster/DSC_1373croppsesm.jpg

Cross Jelly with hitchhiker
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h240/Larry_C/Monterey%20Diving%202012/1-14-12%20Outer%20Chase%20Reef/DSC_1436psesm.jpg

Salp
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h240/Larry_C/Monterey%20Diving%202012/1-14-12%20Outer%20Chase%20Reef/DSC_1432croppsesm.jpg

Salp with hitchhiker
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h240/Larry_C/Monterey%20Diving%202012/1-14-12%20Outer%20Chase%20Reef/DSC_1424croppsesm.jpg

The bell of a salp or siphonophore
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h240/Larry_C/Monterey%20Diving%202012/3-3-12%20Outer%20Chase%20Reef/DSC_1588croppsesm.jpg

Scrippsia Pacifica Jellyfish
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h240/Larry_C/Monterey%20Diving%202012/3-25-12%20Mola%20Mountain/DSC_1725psesm.jpg

Scrippsia Pacifica with hitchhiking crabs
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h240/Larry_C/Monterey%20Diving%202012/3-25-12%20Mola%20Mountain/DSC_1713croppsesm.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h240/Larry_C/Monterey%20Diving%202012/3-25-12%20Mola%20Mountain/DSC_1711croppsesm.jpg

[kathydee]

Very nice Larry! Thanks for sharing!

[Peter_C]

Your photos look better than they do in real life??

[alcina]

Love seeing all the little critters hanging out with the jellies!

[Larry C]

Thanks Kathy, I've been jealously checking out the pictures of your cave dives (not that you'll find me slithering through skinny passages anytime soon). Thanks Peter and Kristen.