Posted by Brad on January 17, 2005 at 20:42:47:
i'll try to get right to the point. left home a little before 11am friday (HPOM!) and made the afternoon run out to the Island of the Blue Dolphins arriving a little after 4pm...ran half way up the backside and donned wetsuitmaskfinsnorkle, and camera...slipped into the water..
swam the kelp forest blissful desolation! watched the sun go down from the water...saw myriad of familliar fish faces, sea lion pups. towel dry, fine rumandcokeonice...(DVD movie)... beautiful night, clear and dry!:)
up to the west end in the morning, cryatal clear skies (sun lept off the horizon!) 57 in the water, vis30-40ft, no wind....with the help of the magic window, i found a neat place. Donned wetsuitmaskfinsnorkle, and camera...
i was in about 35ft or so when i see a big object hanging in the water column about 20ft away...i was going to go up, but i bolted for it instead. It was a huge Torpedo Ray that had just stopped in her tracks. I got a picture of her and then i spotted a much smaller Ray coming up to her... i stayed and actually got both of them in the same frame as they approached eachother head on...
There i happened to be; right at the precise moment when two lonesome, prehistoric creatures set eyes on each other for the very first time....
as i was acending i saw the two touch noses...
i believe that yes, it was love at first sight!~
:)
anyway, sunday morning i saw the Kelp Rockfish that has a birthmark on his face again. I call him Mr Splotch. I first got a picture of him back in Mar '03...i saw him the last time i was there also, he lives in this one particular rock structure..
Beautiful run home Sunday morning. Swung into SBI and the island is a beautiful dark green, plush with new vegetation. The rookeries were all scrubbed down clean by the rain. The island looked fantastic. There were no boats there...??
2 nights, 180nm and not a single vessel assist*
Brad
(loves the sea like you wouldn't believe..)