Whidbey Island Critters

[John Rawlings]

Simply gorgeous work, Jan, as always! I'm SO glad that you share your art with us here!

- John

[Jan K]

Tom, you are probably right. The reason I put the "reddish" one with Coppers, is that I posted it once on different forum and was told:
Quote: "If i remember correct the reddish coppers used to be considered a different species... known commonly as "california coppers" but have since been lumped together in S. caurinus."
And there is another ID error. The one I suspected of being new variety at Keystone is actually Canary Rockfish, new specie I am adding to my list of Whidbey Critters. Thanks to Janna... So there is never a dull moment under the surface..

[Tom Nic]

I would call the one in the lower right hand corner of your Coppers a Brown based on the indistinctiveness of the lateral line.

But that's just me.... :-)

[Jan K]

On my last dives at Keystone Jetty, I came across some strikingly different colored rockfish. Not hundred percent positive, but I still think they are variation of Coppers. The one in question, is the first upper one of the four pictured.



And Black Rockfish too:

[Tom Nic]

Beautiful pics Jan! I love the colors on the Painted Greenlings! Nice clarity as well.

I wonder if there is a "timing logic" to the breeding? By that I mean, would the greenlings at Langley breed on their own timetable, or could we expect the Painted Greenlings down in our neck of the woods in South Sond to be breeding as well?

Curious if anyone has knowledge of this.

[Jan K]

The romance is still going on at Keystone Jetty, breeding colors displayed proudly by some of the Painted Greenling pairs.

[Zen Diver]

The egg ribbons always look like knit cuffs to me. Great shots Jan!

-Valerie

[Jan K]

Inside the jetty rocks, Noble dorids are busy creating new generation of yellow slugs

[Tom Nic]

They sure are gnarly looking critters!

[Jan K]

From the murky waters of Langley Tire Reef -

[LCF]

Bob and I dove Deception Island last year, and I remember laughing my head off at the number of scallops that flapped off in terror at Bob's approach. They remind me of possessed dentures . . .

[Joshua Smith]

I love the Scallops! I'll never forget the first time I saw one "jetting" through the water to get away from me! And, as much as I love eating them, It was probably a good idea to get as far away from me as possible! Ha!


Great pics, as always, Jan! Thank you for sharing them here!

[Jan K]

Just outside of Deception PAss, Whidbey Island, Deception Island provides a protected dive site when the currents in the pass are ripping. Not much fish life, visibility wasn't that good, but lots and lots of scallops..

[LCF]

Wow -- I really LOVE the behaviors you catch with your camera! So much more educational than just pretty pictures. Thanks, as always, Jan.

[Jan K]

It takes the entire family when Saddleback gunnels go clamming in the shallow waters off Keystone Jetty..

[Jan K]

LCF - Thank you for your kind words, I hope you had a great dive. Sorry I missed you yesterday, I dove Langley in the morning - visibility was bad, wish I went to Keystone instead. Well, I went to Keystone this afternoon, I had a interesting dive, my drysuit leaked to point of flooding, so I was very, very wet and cold, but as most of time, did see interesting things...Cheers, Jan

[Tom Nic]

Well, from what I saw, it was not an orgy, the other cucumbers in the vicinity did not show much interest in the gyration of the individual I was taking pictures of

You never know... perhaps they were not unlike homo sapiens... various members of the species of which can be given to attention getting gyrations of various kinds that others just ignore.... :-)

[LCF]

We went and dove Keystone yesterday, Jan, and I looked excitedly around when we got there to see if anybody looked like your drawings of you -- and the whole time we were underwater, I kept thinking about all the wonderful things you find there, and telling myself, "Go slowly and look CAREFULLY."

We had a wonderful dive, and you are partially to thank for it :)

[Jan K]

Well, from what I saw, it was not an orgy, the other cucumbers in the vicinity did not show much interest in the gyration of the individual I was taking pictures of ...

[Jan K]

Thin red lines, humpy looking, hope that I ID it correctly..



It is not Humpy, it is Sitka shrimp - Heptacarpus sitchensis

[Jan K]

Langley Reef - I found that eggs are still being laid and guarded by the Painted Greenling..

[Zen Diver]

Either that or he is just a big bully and wont share.. =)[/color]

Yes, he's just being shellfish....

(heading off to sleep now to escape the groans...)

-Valerie

[GillyWeed]

Its like he's sentimental or something.. He had to save all the old shells he used to live in.. Either that or he is just a big bully and wont share.. =)

[Jan K]

I met this shell collector at Keystone.

[LCF]

I've often wondered about how you dive Keystone so often. I've been told to avoid the site in any but very small tidal exchanges, but you seem to dive there all the time. Now I know the answer -- You don't mind being dust in the wind!