Dive Reoprt: Santa Barbara Island

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Dive Reoprt: Santa Barbara Island

Scuba Diving on the Great Escape Southern California Live-Aboard Dive Boat

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Posted by Chris on April 30, 2006 at 14:08:58:

Yesterday Kathryn and I went to Santa Barbara Island aboard the Great Escape.
Our first dive was a Black Cavern. The water temperature was 53°F and the visibility was about 30 ft. We stayed on top of the cavern at 50 to 70 ft.
Our second dive was at Three Sisters. The water temperature was 52°F and the visibility was about 40 ft. I spent most of the dive taking pictures of a very small Yellowfin Fringehead (Neoclinus stephensae) that kept poking his head out of a hole in a boulder.
Our last dive was at the rookery. Kathryn and I both spotted some very nice (2 lbs.+) California Spiny Lobster (Panulirus interruptus), several Batrays, and the largest (8 cm length)San Diego Dorid (Diaulula sandiegensis) I have ever seen.

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Santa Barbara Island with Sport Chalet
aboard the Great Escape
April 29, 2006

click on the images to enlarge

Above Black Cavern

A Fragile Rainbow Star
(Astrometis sertulifera)
& many Spiny Brittle Stars
(Ophiothrix spiculata)
A Purple Sea Urchin
(Strongylocentrotus purpuratus)
with a shell on top
& Club-tipped Anemones
(Corynactis californica)
Spiny Brittle Stars
(Ophiothrix spiculata)
Spiny Brittle Stars
(Ophiothrix spiculata)

Spiny Brittle Stars
(Ophiothrix spiculata)
Spiny Brittle Stars
(Ophiothrix spiculata)
Spiny Brittle Star
(Ophiothrix spiculata)
on a Red Sponge
A Banded Serpent Star
(Ophioderma panamensis)
& many Spiny Brittle Stars
(Ophiothrix spiculata)

Three Sisters

orange seaweed?
Navanax inermis
Navanax inermis
Navanax inermis

Navanax inermis
Orange Cup Coral
(Balanophyllia elegans)
Peltodoris nobilis
Yellowfin Fringehead
(Neoclinus stephensae)

Yellowfin Fringehead
(Neoclinus stephensae)
Yellowfin Fringehead
(Neoclinus stephensae)
Yellowfin Fringehead
(Neoclinus stephensae)
Yellowfin Fringehead
(Neoclinus stephensae)

The Rookery

Coilodesme californica
Rea Sea Urchins
(Strongylocentrotus franciscanus),
Purple Sea Urchins
(Strongylocentrotus purpuratus),
& Crowned Sea Urchins
(Centrostephanus coronatus)

Red Gorgonian
(Lophogorgia chilensis)
A Red Gorgonian
(Lophogorgia chilensis)
in front of a
California Golden Gorgonian
(Muricea californica)

San Diego Dorid
(Diaulula sandiegensis)
San Diego Dorid
(Diaulula sandiegensis)
San Diego Dorid
(Diaulula sandiegensis)
California Spiny Lobster
(Panulirus interruptus)

Bat Stars
(Asterina miniata;
formerly Patiria miniata)
California Golden Gorgonian
(Muricea californica)
An Encrusting Sponge
An Encrusting Sponge

California Spiny Lobster
(Panulirus interruptus)
Crowned Sea Urchin
(Centrostephanus coronatus)
California Golden Gorgonian
(Muricea californica)
A small Batray
(Myliobatis californica)
feeding in the sand

California Golden Gorgonian
(Muricea californica)
An Encrusting Sponge
Red encrusting sponge
(Ophlitaspongia pennata)
Orange Puffball Sponge
(Tethya aurantia)

Topside at the Rookery

The Peace at the Rookery
Michelle
Captian Pam
Michelle

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