Posted by Elaine on February 21, 2003 at 09:37:02:
In Reply to: looking for advice please posted by gavin on February 21, 2003 at 05:35:55:
If Southern CA is your intended destination, the Channel Islands have a lot to offer year round.
The Garibaldi, our bright orange official State Marine Fish, are usually willing to pose for photos at any opportunity. The male Garibaldi nest from about May to August and are perhaps easiest to photograph during this time.
The off shore oil rigs are an extremely colorful dive spot with tons of life and photographic opportunities.
Our two most common kelp forest nudibranchs, Hermissenda crassicornis and Flabelina iodinea, are usually easiest to locate in the summer and fall, frequently with egg clutches near by.
Shark and Sea Lion trips are pretty much guaranteed action. The Yukon in Mission Bay in San Diego has a variety of sea slugs and marine life. The Giant Sea Bass that can be found at Catalina are usually photographer pleasers also. They come up to about the 50 foot range in the summer and fall.
There seems to be an annual plankton bloom around March that can sometimes produce really low visibility. For wide angle opportunity in general you might try and avoid that time of year. Conditions for photography here can be at their best or at their worst in the winter.