Whidbey Island Critters

Fish & Invertebrate sightings and descriptions, hosted by resident NWDC ID expert Janna Nichols (nwscubamom).
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Jan K
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Re: Whidbey Island Critters

Post by Jan K »

Thank you for kind words. As you see I am running out of new critter discoveries,
so I like to share glimpses of the common ones as I see them.
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Dusty2
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Re: Whidbey Island Critters

Post by Dusty2 »

That upper egg yolk picture is awesome! and that close up of the crab is great. The viz must be improving to be able to get wide angle shots like that.
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Jan K
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Re: Whidbey Island Critters

Post by Jan K »

Thanks Dusty, glad you like the pictures.
I am happy I found a critter which is not so special to you divers in the South Sound. For some reason, the Wolfies are not so common here on Whidbey. I was thrilled when one of them poked its handsome face out at Langley Tire Reef.
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Dusty2
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Re: Whidbey Island Critters

Post by Dusty2 »

Nice job Jan. new or old we love your pages and the wonderful info you gather.

Like Whitby adult wolfies don't hang out at Port Townsend either but we are blessed with juveniles frequently and I love it when they are out and about so you can see them all and not just the head. I keep hoping one will stick around but it seems when they reach young adulthood they venture out to find a mate and settle down but never bring them back to Hudson.
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coachrenz
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Re: Whidbey Island Critters

Post by coachrenz »

Sweet. A wolfie at langley. I hope it stays around.
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dwashbur
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Re: Whidbey Island Critters

Post by dwashbur »

Okay, we've gotta get back up there so you can take us to see him! Great pix, as usual.
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Jan K
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Re: Whidbey Island Critters

Post by Jan K »

Like a spaceship cruising through the star laden galaxy, many of these jellyfish swim through
plankton laden water of Langley Tire Reef.
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Jan K
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Re: Whidbey Island Critters

Post by Jan K »

So the Lingcod hunting season is upon us. I still only take pictures..
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and leave the rockfish alone !
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Jan K
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Re: Whidbey Island Critters

Post by Jan K »

The currents at my favorite Whidbey Island dive spot were favorable this past week so I made the journey
there three consecutive times. Did not discover any new critters, but it is such colorful locale, that
it does not matter. Here is another mix of images I enjoyed in Deception Pass...
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LCF
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Re: Whidbey Island Critters

Post by LCF »

Man, it doesn't look as though the viz was that bad in Deception Pass this weekend! We were supposed to do that dive, but because of reports of bad viz, we did Davidson Rock and Whale Rocks instead. (Can't complain; two beautiful dives!)

Jan, what resource materials do you use to learn so many things about the critters you photograph? Your pages are whole education in themselves.
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Jan K
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Re: Whidbey Island Critters

Post by Jan K »

No, the visibility was not great, but we have so few days when shore dive is possible, that one has to take what Mother Nature serves us.. As for the sources for my critter pages. Books, Internet and e-mails to experts when stumped.
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Huskychemist
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Re: Whidbey Island Critters

Post by Huskychemist »

coachrenz wrote:Sweet. A wolfie at langley. I hope it stays around.

Just what I was thinking...


Jan, your work is still amazing, even after all these years. It never gets old. Thanks for sharing.
Happy Diving!

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Jan K
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Re: Whidbey Island Critters

Post by Jan K »

It has been over a year now and so we decided to go visit the Cloud sponges again.
Well, we did not find any on Saturday, we did find many rocks, but only Plumose
anemones occupying them. But it then again, there were not that many clouds
in the skies above us neither. :)
On Sunday the overcast was heavy and it even drizzled
on our heads and made the world down in 90 feet of water sort of gloomy, but we did
find some of the Cloud sponges... Hope you enjoy themas much as we did...
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LCF
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Re: Whidbey Island Critters

Post by LCF »

Wonderful pages, Jan! Cloud sponges are one of my favorite things to see in the PNW. We saw some moderate-sized ones at about 120 in Saanich Inlet, but I understand that on the current-swept walls up there, and a little deeper, they can get to the size of Volkswagens.
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Jan K
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Re: Whidbey Island Critters

Post by Jan K »

Father's Day dive with my daughter - unfortunately, the visibility was terrible,
swimming in planktonic soup under heavy drizzly overcast did not help...
We managed to find another dad hard at work guarding his future kids :)
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LCF
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Re: Whidbey Island Critters

Post by LCF »

Oh, that's cool information about the cirri. I always wondered what good they were to the fish.

I love the male greenlings in breeding plumage, when they are almost black with stars . . .
"Sometimes, when your world is going sideways, the second best thing to everything working out right, is knowing you are loved..." ljjames
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Re: Whidbey Island Critters

Post by dphershman »

Nice Jan! (And your daughter makes great uw model too)
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Jan K
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Re: Whidbey Island Critters

Post by Jan K »

Thanks Lynne, Dan. I enjoy diving with my daughter, although it is a rare treat since she now lives off the island.
Back to critter search. Seems like jellies love the planktonic soup..
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Jan K
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Re: Whidbey Island Critters

Post by Jan K »

Another session with barnacles. This one is not common at Keystone or anywhere else on Whidbey ....
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enchantmentdivi
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Re: Whidbey Island Critters

Post by enchantmentdivi »

Love it!!! I saw these when at was at Keystone last weekend, and I was soooooooooooooooooo excited!!!
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Jan K
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Re: Whidbey Island Critters

Post by Jan K »

The Tubesnouts of Keystone are not following some of the rules spelled out in the information I gather from
books and the internet. One source claims that they live less then one year and they spawn in May to June.
So they must reproduce more then once a year or live longer. Plus the Bull kelp dies off in the winter...
So I am still looking for answers. Meanwhile some snapshots of them tending their eggs ... :dontknow:
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Dusty2
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Re: Whidbey Island Critters

Post by Dusty2 »

Nice work and great info as usual Jan. I wait eagerly for each new post. Thanks for all the time and work you put into this.
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Tom Nic
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Re: Whidbey Island Critters

Post by Tom Nic »

Fantastic shots and info Jan!
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Re: Whidbey Island Critters

Post by derek b »

These post are AMAZING!! I just went through 20 or so pages. Awesome artwork and photographs. Very informative information.
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Re: Whidbey Island Critters

Post by dwashbur »

derek b wrote:These post are AMAZING!! I just went through 20 or so pages. Awesome artwork and photographs. Very informative information.
Welcome, Derek. It's good to have you in the We Love Jan's Posts Club!!!!!
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