A couple of pics from off of Catalina last weekend

[AUTiger]

I went on a boat last weekend. The photography wasn't great, but I got a couple that I liked. These are all with my Nikon D80, 60mm lens, and one DS-125. I need another strobe! I miss having two now that I gave my loaner DS-125 back to it's owner.

David

Please visit my scuba photoblog: The Underwater Paparazzo

Mantis Shrimp. This was one of those opportunities that makes me wish that I had been diving solo, my original plan. If I hadn't have had a dive buddy hovering around, I would have stayed at this spot for quite a while hoping that the shrimp would have done something interesting after getting acclimated to my presence. It was daytime, though, so it probably wouldn't have done much.



Angel Shark. The angel was so well hidden at first that it looks like a little bit of hard mud or rock in a sea of sand. My buddy was totally surprised that it was there.



Horned Shark - He was in a crevice between rocks so I could frame him well. I like horned shark "faces". They look friendly, like a puppy. It makes me want to pet him on the head.



And last, a Moon Jellyfish

[fairybasslet]

Very nice. I love the texture on the shark.

[drbill]

I've spent entire dives with several mantis shrimp. Onmce was 43 minutes with a male in breeding colors who was so raging with hormones that he stayed out of the burrow until the very end and let me take tons of video of him. Most recently it was with four mantis shrimp within a 15 ft radius of where I landed on the bottom.

You do know those guys have a snap strong enough to break a glass port (but apparently not acrulic).

[Adriaan557]

Nice photos!!!

[alcina]

I feel your pain on the single strobe...if you click the link to the recent dives in my sig you'll see that I only had one to play with last weekend, too. My dive bud has fixed the problem so I should be good to go with two this weekend!

I like the mantis and the jelly shot (mmm yummm, but not going there!)

Those horned sharks are cool - we don't see 'em up here much but they get a ton in Perth and down south!

[fairybasslet]

You do know those guys have a snap strong enough to break a glass port (but apparently not acrulic).

I didn't know that. Whodathunk something so small could be so strong.

[AUTiger]

I've spent entire dives with several mantis shrimp. Onmce was 43 minutes with a male in breeding colors who was so raging with hormones that he stayed out of the burrow until the very end and let me take tons of video of him. Most recently it was with four mantis shrimp within a 15 ft radius of where I landed on the bottom.

You do know those guys have a snap strong enough to break a glass port (but apparently not acrulic).

Dr. Bill

Thanks for the advice. I had heard the same thing.

Are there Mantis Shrimp at Casino Point, and how frequently do you see them? I would guess that they would be in the sand to the left of the entrance. Do you have any specific recommendations for finding them at the park?

Thanks in advance,
David

[Rickg]

Nice full face closeup of the shark.

[drbill]

Are there Mantis Shrimp at Casino Point, and how frequently do you see them? I would guess that they would be in the sand to the left of the entrance. Do you have any specific recommendations for finding them at the park?

Actually I've never seen one in some 1,200+ dives in the dive park alone. However, I did hear a report from a diver who saw one there a week or two ago. I was surprised. Hen Rock is one of the best sites to see them. Willow Cove and White's Landing as well.

[marcienko]

Very nice shots.Thank you for sharing.

Regards

Marcin