White Seabass video

[Rick_C]

For a few weeks my wife and I have been snorkeling and freediving with White Seabass. Most of the videos I've seen show White Seabass in kelp forests, but we found a spot where they have been hanging out in the surf zone. They are typically skittish and difficult to approach, but getting close is possible while freediving. On SCUBA the bubbles are too load and will scare the fish. One of the largest fish I nicknamed "Scratchy" and estimate over 4' long. Scratchy has some scratches on her belly and on her right hand side near the tail. There is another one we call "Gash" that has a head wound that is now nearly completely healed. This was filmed in a Laguna Beach MPA (Marine Protected Area)

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Wow! I've never been able to get that close while free diving.

 

[drbill]

Great video! I got pretty close to three of them on SCUBA. The first one bolted when we came into an opening in the kelp from opposite sides. The other two swam past me as I was filming (I must have been holding my breath).