Despite dire predictions from the swell models, we found glassy seas on the south side of Palos Verdes this morning. We have only scratched the surface of White Point Rock so we decided to explore more of it.

Catalina Island and clouds reflect on the surface

It was flat enough for a beach dive

Merry can't wait to get at the critters below

The visibility was down to eight feet, but there is so much to see that we didn't need to see very far. Fish seem to be unafraid of us here. Rubberlips, calicos, vermilion rockfish and even juvenile sheephead come within inches of our faces.

Merry's bubbles don't bother the fish. The reef is surrounded by a ten foot verticle wall.

Red, golden and brown gorgonian are packed in on top of the reef. Corynactis californica and yellow zooanthids take up residence on the gorgonians.

Of course, nudibranchs provide small splashes of color every few inches. Several mating pairs were found, as well as a few wayward nudis out on the sand.

Ategema alba

Flabellina iodinea

Aegiris albopunctatus

Cadlina flavomaculata

Acanthodoris lutea

Peltodoris nobilis

Mating Acanthodoris hudsoni

Cuthona divae

and a new one for us. I haven't identified it yet. I thought it was a San Diego dorid with spots instead of rings, but I was incorrect.

We made two dives and had lunch before leaving. Later in the day, our little boat's Daddy came by.

• Crawling with life Merry 21:33:27 10/24/10 (0)