Few photos from last week and yesterday

[cozcharlie]

Thank rainbow slug is beautiful.
I haven’t seen a a nudiebranch ever in Coz. A handful of lettuce slugs and sea hares.
Any recommendations of where would be the best site to have the chance of seeing a nudiebranch?

Honestly I have hardly ever found a nudibranch myself. I think it is question of finding a dive guide with right balance of having plenty of dives but not too many years on the eyes. Also helps to dive in low current. Those rainbow slugs are probably 1/2 inch long If that. Very difficult to find in first place, even more so if flying by in the current.

Fernando at Pelagic Ventures found all the ones in the pictures I posted. Think he is 30ish. He sees to find them regardless of reef. It helps that I am diving with very few people due to Covid and those that do go with me are very, very experienced so he can look hard for stuff without worrying too much about babysitting divers. Note he isn’t even the primary divemaster there. Paulino, who owns the shop with his wife, is the primary divemaster and is also good at finding stuff

I think many of the boutique/valet shops probably have someone that is good at spotting small stuff if you let it be known that is what you want to see. (I am not going to get into the my favorite shop is better than your favorite shop debate —there are at least a dozen very good shops in Cozumel, probably more ). Obviously if you are on a cattle boat with 20 of your closest friends I wouldn’t expect much from those ops.

 

[Redfoot]

Realized I missed one I had intended to post for anyone that likes sharks. Not really the best picture (poor viz and my strobes were out of position because I went from shooting something 1 inch long to 3 feet long in 30 seconds)--but it's something. Could have been a really cool pic if I had a few more seconds to adjustView attachment 624131

I think it is great! I really like the shadow of the shark underneath, it adds a different perspective.

 

[GirlonFire]

Honestly I have hardly ever found a nudibranch myself. I think it is question of finding a dive guide with right balance of having plenty of dives but not too many years on the eyes. Also helps to dive in low current. Those rainbow slugs are probably 1/2 inch long If that. Very difficult to find in first place, even more so if flying by in the current.

Fernando at Pelagic Ventures found all the ones in the pictures I posted. Think he is 30ish. He sees to find them regardless of reef. It helps that I am diving with very few people due to Covid and those that do go with me are very, very experienced so he can look hard for stuff without worrying too much about babysitting divers. Note he isn’t even the primary divemaster there. Paulino, who owns the shop with his wife, is the primary divemaster and is also good at finding stuff

I think many of the boutique/valet shops probably have someone that is good at spotting small stuff if you let it be known that is what you want to see. (I am not going to get into the my favorite shop is better than your favorite shop debate —there are at least a dozen very good shops in Cozumel, probably more ). Obviously if you are on a cattle boat with 20 of your closest friends I wouldn’t expect much from those ops.

Ironically, I found at least 4 rainbow slugs today. I forgot the actual name. But one was at Palancar Gardens and the others at Yucab.
Here’s one from Yucab.

 

[divingjd]

Ironically, I found at least 4 rainbow slugs today. I forgot the actual name. But one was at Palancar Gardens and the others at Yucab.
Here’s one from Yucab.View attachment 624418

It’s a painted elysia. Once you learn where to find them, they are everywhere. One day at Dalila, I stopped counting at 40. If you really want to see nudis and slugs, dive with Liang at Aldora. She knows them all and has a great eye for them.