Whidbey Island Critters

[Jan K]

Thank you Tom, Gdog,
happy to share scenes from our world underwater.

One of the reasons I enjoy diving is the possibility, that regardless how many times I dive in the same spot, there is always a chance to find something I never seen before. After nice dive on the northern end of Whidbey in the Deception Pass on Friday, on Sunday, I went to the most southern end of the island. Beautiful sunny day, calm seas. And I came across a very small, about 6mm slug, feeding on lonely hydroid. I would probably never found it if it was not contrasting with its bright yellowish attire of cerata against the grabby background of the Possession Point Fingers walls. I snapped few pictures and the surprise came later at home, when I realized, I never seen this kind of nudibranch before. Not in my guide books neither. So I contacted my friends and we came to the conclusion, that it MIGHT be the recently described Zelentia willowsi found by Karin Fletcher near her home at Rich Passage, Port Orchard !
Not 100% positive, but exciting, nevertheless.
So fellow divers, keep your eyes open !

[Gdog]

Wow the colors! Love your work Jan!

[Tom Nic]

It has been said many times before, but Jan you and your work are a treasure. Thank you so much for sharing that treasure with us. We are richer for it.

[Jan K]

Fiji has soft corals to color up the reefs, Whidbey Island has sponges ans anemones to help out to brighten up the underwater scene
However, some of the Tan Finger sponges are getting sick again. Like last year, but since they seem to recover then, maybe it is just a cyclical thing with them.

[Jan K]

Interrupting the coverage from the tropics with a dip in our cold Whidbey Island waters.
Sea star survey at Deception Pass, first day of March...

[Tangfish]

Love those split shots, Jan!

[Jan K]

No scuba diving on Saturday, so we snoop around the nearby mangroves...

[Jan K]

Diving into Neptune's Rhapsody, Fiji ...

[Jan K]

Few critters encountered on walks around Wananavu Resort, Viti Levu Island, Fiji

[Jan K]

Liking whales, seabirds, tropical oysters, well, why not ?
If that means weird, count me in
What about Blue lobsters and Carnation corals ?

[Sharkb8]

I don’t think I’ve ever heard of or seen photos of tropical oysters. What a cool thing to see!

[oldsalt]

Jan: When I think about it, I must laugh at myself. If I were to tell someone how eagerly I await your posts, and they asked "What is in them?" "Oh, pictures of oysters, sponges, flatworms, and slugs." Add my near obsession with whales and seabirds, no wonder I am considered weird. Thanks again for your post. - Curt

[Jan K]

Thanks Tangfish, tropics do show off their colors even in worms. Flatworms that is

Encrusting sponges beautifying Giant Honeycomb Oysters...

[Tangfish]

Wowza! That flatworm is spectacular, Jan!

[Jan K]

Flatworm and slug to brighten up your Sunday

[Jan K]

It is nothing but water ...
The leisure stroll on Main Street continued ...

[oldsalt]

When I look at the wonders you depict, I think of an exchange I had with a cousin years ago. He asked why I didn't return to my birth state of Missouri. "It doesn't have an ocean for one thing" I replied. He answered, "What's the big deal about the ocean? It is nothing but water." Nothing but water indeed.
-Curt

[Jan K]

Fiji - dive # 8, Main Street. So many questions about the new sights presented in this new to me underwater tropical world. For example, when I saw some of the soft coral releasing what to me looked like string of eggs, similar to the spawn of Plumose anemones here in our cold water, I assumed that I am witnessing coral spawning. Not so. After long search on the internet, I found out that the coral was shedding skin, something which the Toadstool Leather coral does regularly. So now you know too

[Jan K]

Golden Dream reef provided many more memorable encounters, and the camera kept on clicking ...

[Jan K]

Thanks Curt, there is so much to see around us, and so much we miss to see...

And back to warm waters of Fiji. Golden Dream, dive #7.

[oldsalt]

Jan: You show us again and again the marvels one can see in what many consider sites not worth the effort: Langley, Coupeville, and Holmes Harbor. But you are an exceptionally gifted observer.
-Curt

[Jan K]

I don't know what earned this little slug its name, but I would certainly NOT name it Pacific Stomach Wing. I got the Pacific part, for it is found here, I could understand the wing part, but stomach ? Anyway, here are some pics of what it looks like when they make more of themselves. Even the hermit crab among them seems to be trying to figure the flying stomach thing...

[Jan K]

Enough of snow shoveling and longing for the warm, tropical waters. Time to return to the cold water reality of Whidbey Island diving. Valentine's Day good as any to dust off the drysuit, recharge the camera and strobe batteries and slosh through wet snow into the waters of Langley Harbor...

[Jan K]

Welcome back, Curt. Nothing lame about what you saw in your travels. The real thing pixels can not replace .

Fiji fish, corals, sponge and feather star parade continues ...

[oldsalt]

My access to internet has been limited while I was in the Galapagos. I just saw your trip photos. My goodness. My Fiji photos are so lame in comparison. Thank you,
Curt