Okenia zoobotryon season

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The last few dives I dove as a spotter and without a camera because Steve's luggage was lost at custums. We managed to put together a Nikon D200 for me to shoot stuff around. I was eager to find something to photograph.

I explored the north side of the fishing pier. The viz was amazing. But I was concerned the fishing lines from the fisherman were I bit to close to me and I didn’t have a knife to free myself in case I got “hooked”.

After I while I returned to the pile of pilings under the fishing pier and I shot a medium size batfish with blue eyes and I found a pretty shell with a blenny laying in it. No eggs. No eggs? Where are the blenny eggs? last year we where finding them all over around this time...

I saw a good size cardinal fish that had a mouth awefully big but would not open for me. Uhhoohoo Judy is going to want to shoot it. It was big under the lower longer log facing south under the fishing pier. I am sure it is still there.

I decided to spend some time looking for different colors of the nudi that is lately everywhere on what I call the “nylon” weed. Linda Id it as Okenia zoobotryon.

I saw a batfish and a sea robin having some sort of fight, the hairy blennies are growing and probably mating because I saw one with orange face, and they are so big and encounter big scorpion fish and chase them out. I don’t have a good shot to share but maybe soon I will catch one. I saw a few pairs of duskys close to the logs and over protective damselfish. I dogged out from the sand a beautiful cowry shell that looked abandoned and I taped it and poked it and it didn’t look that it had any living animals in it. I normally don’t take anything from the ocean not even shells without giving the ocean something in return but I put it in my pocket. ;[ Later when I got out of the water I found out it had a hermit crab in it so I put it back. Never again I will pick up anything. The girls reported a redish seahorse on one of the bouys and nothing to exiting. Every one was cold and I dove with my 7 mm for fist time. We spent New Year’s Eve with our dive mucksters: Diane, Lureen and Deb.

Photo notes: I loving the D200. It is sharp and easy to use if I can loose be softer with my triegger finger.

16 ft 184min S100cc 14lbs +double ank 7mm Pina (I was a bit heavy not ready to take off ankle weight yet)

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Photos

Cardinal fish with eggs.
They are very skittish under the bridge not like the ones at Indonesia. I was so happy to have proof of life.

Hairy Blenny
These guys are growing and chasing bigger fish out of their spots. A couple of regular divers have reported them mating. When they do one of them turns bright orange. I can't wait to catch one!

Batfish
One blue eye and one green eye. I love colors!

Okenia
The Nudi of the week.