Labor of Love

I must really love diving. If I didn't, I would not have gone out diving on Labor Day. Constant calls to the Coast Guard and Vessel Assist crackled over the radio all day. Even in Southern California many boaters think there is a boating season. They were going out this weekend no matter what condition their boat was in.
The swells picked up a bit, but it was difficult to see them because of the fog that rolled in as we geared up. I told Merry to make sure not to lose the anchor, as we wouldn't want to surface far from the boat.
We set the anchor on the edge of the reef at Honeymoon Cove and Merry marked the spot with her Popoid Reef Marker. I headed north in search of the Moray eel Margaret Webb found last week. Visibility was barely five feet, but I was able to find it within a few minutes. I pointed it out to Merry and told her to get some shots while I explored the east wall. I planned to return in a few minutes for my turn with the eel.
I circumnavigated the reef, but was a little too deep to notice I was below the dropoff along the north side of the reef. I never found the eel again. I swam toward the anchor, but missed it and had to ascend along the kelp. I could see the boat when I surfaced, but I had a bit of a swim to get there. I think I might wait for visibility to clear up before exploring this reef again.






The same two Hopkin's Rose nudibranchs have been laying eggs on this rock since we first found them two weeks ago.


They lay their eggs next to their favorite snack, Eurystomella bilabiata



Anisodoris nobilis eggs


Red Rock shrimp, Lysmata californica



Diaulula sandiegensis



Polycera tricolor



Cuthona divae



Flabellina trilineata

Love your reports.

We went on the Great Escape to the Olynmpic II wreck on Sunday and viz was about 5-ft horizontal, maybe 15-ft vertical. 55-F bottom temp with some surge and constant but not too strong current.

I saw some sweet stuff: large sculpins and Scorpionfish, even a couple of 1-footer lingcolds swimming around, schools of large blacksmiths and rubber lip perches, a crab that I didn't recognize and need to do some research. Of course, it was nudi haven at that joint. Everywhere we looked, the white spotted dorids were all over the place, some cuthona, trilineata, clown, Spanish Shawl, cadlina, all within a 5-square feet area.

Alas, we were on air and bottom time was squat on both dives.

Wow -- that eurostomella picture absolutely glows. That's gorgeous!