Dive Report: Catalina on Sunday May 25, 2008 aboard the Magician

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Dive Report: Catalina on Sunday May 25, 2008 aboard the Magician

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Posted by Chris on May 26, 2008 at 21:48:01:

On Sunday May 25, 2008 Kathryn and I went on a day dive trip to Catalina aboard the Magician. The sky threatened rain and we got a few brief light showers on the trip over. However the sea was calm.

Our first dive was at ship rock. The visibility varied from about 25 feet to ten feet depending on depth, with deeper be a bit clearer, and much colder. It was 52°F at 95 feet and 58°F above 35 feet.
There seemed to be an explosion of Hermissenda crassicornis. They were everywhere. When I was at Ship Rock with the Sea Divers on April 12, there were some, but nothing like this. Also there still were Dendronotus sp. to be found, but less than in April.

Our second dive was at Eagle Reef. The water seemed murky with visibility in the 20 to 15 foot range. The same thermocline was the same as it was at Ship Rock. However there were many fewer nudibranchs than there were in April. The decline is probably related to the explosion in the population of Navanax inermis. I saw many on the dive and witnessed two feeding on Hermissenda crassicornis.

Our third dive was at Sea Fan Grotto. It was obvious that with this very full boatload of diver that Grotto would be one big CF. So Kathryn and I headed East and dove the area between there and the old rock quarry. I found three Green Abalone (Haliotis fulgens) at this dive site.

My pictures from the trip follow:

diver.net

Santa Catalina Island aboard the Magician
May 25, 2008

click on the images to enlarge

Ship Rock

Kelletia kelleti (Kellet's Whelk)
laying eggs
Hermissenda crassicornis
Hermissenda crassicornis
Flabellina iodinea
(Spanish Shawl)

Flabellina iodinea
(Spanish Shawl)
Chromodoris macfarlandi
(MacFarland's Chromodorid)
Linckia columbiae
(Fragile Star)
Hermissenda crassicornis

Dendronotus sp.
Dendronotus sp.
Dendronotus sp.
Dendronotus sp.

Dendronotus sp.
Dendronotus sp.
Dendronotus sp.
Parazoanthus sp.
[Orange (Rock) Zoanthids]

Eagle Reef

Chromodoris macfarlandi
(MacFarland's Chromodorid)
Navanax inermis eating
a Hermissenda crassicornis
Hermissenda crassicornis
and Navanax inermis
Navanax inermis eating
a Hermissenda crassicornis

Navanax inermis eating
a Hermissenda crassicornis
Navanax inermis finishing off
a Hermissenda crassicornis
Hermissenda crassicornis
A pair of Pisaster Giganteus
(Giant Spined Star)

Sebastes atrovirens
(Kelp rockfish)
Navanax inermis
Navanax inermis
Panulirus interruptus
(California Spiny Lobster)

East of Sea Fan Grotto

Crassedoma giganteum
(Rock Scallop)
Parastichopus parvimensis
(Warty Sea Cucumber)
Haliotis fulgens
Green Abalone)
Haliotis fulgens
Green Abalone)

Lythrypnus dalli
(Bluebanded Goby)
Lythrypnus dalli
(Bluebanded Goby)
Haliotis fulgens
Green Abalone)
Haliotis fulgens
Green Abalone)

topside

Wayne Phillips, Debbie Karimoto,
& Laura Sheely
Debbie Karimoto & Laura Sheely
Debbie Karimoto & Laura Sheely
divers

diver and Tom (deck hand)
Debbie Karimoto
DM Rod
Lisa Sheely & Laura Sheely

Debbie Karimoto
Debbie Karimoto
Laura Sheely & Debbie Karimoto
Mike Lancaster (cook)

Chris Grossman's Underwater Photography

©2008 Chris Grossman, diver.net

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Re: Dive Report: Catalina on Sunday May 25, 2008 aboard the Magician Patrick 07:59:28 05/27/08 (0)

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