A first at Redondo

[dphershman]

This has been an uneventful year at Redondo in finding Nudibranchs (except for all the hoodeds last month). But I did find a first yesterday. I like to end my dive routine with a visit to the eel grass at the north end of the beach to look for Lumpsuckers. Didn't find any lumpsuckers, but I did encounter a Giant Nudibranch, Dendronotus iris feeding on the eelgrass blades. This was a rather small fellow, only about an inch long. Likely not too many tube anemones around for it to grow big on. I've never seen one of these in south puget sound before, just Hood Canal and various dive sites in British Columbia.





Also found a rather cool looking Bay Pipefish hanging out at the dishwasher rack


and a small Red Octo hanging out in a wine bottle. He didn't pose for more than a couple of shots before pulling back into the safety of his glassy den.



Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone!

Dan

[Dusty2]

Nice find Dan, I like it when they are small enough to get a good shot. Neat kelp flea in that top photo. I have never seen them at Redondo but I have at Les Davis and they are pretty common at Fox island south. Someone got a really nice attack sequence at Fox awhile back, was it Tom?

[dphershman]

Nice find Dan, I like it when they are small enough to get a good shot. Neat kelp flea in that top photo. I have never seen them at Redondo but I have at Les Davis and they are pretty common at Fox island south. Someone got a really nice attack sequence at Fox awhile back, was it Tom?

Thanks..

I've been either unlucky or inattentive as I've never seen them in the South Sound. I do know that Fox Island west wall is a great place for pink tritonia and striped nudibranchs, but I don't think I've ever seen a Giant there. I've seen some big ones at Sund Rock. And 'as-big-as-a-cat' ones at Hornby Island.

Dan

[Dusty2]

Funny how that works. Maybe now you'll start seeing them everywhere. I have never done fox island but I have seen them several times at Les Davis and KVI Tower. Les davis has lots of tubers for them to feed on. Me and my buddy lucked into a giant nudie orgy at Sund rock one time. There must have been 20 or more in an area15' square and only about 20 feet deep they were in clumps of 2 or more per clump. All different colors. Pretty spectacular. Up til then I had never seen more than one in a dive and not all that often I must have spent half the dive just watching them.

[mpenders]

Nice find and pics! I really like the colors. I've never seen one of them at Redondo, either.

...Someone got a really nice attack sequence at Fox awhile back,...?

Earlier this year, we found several at Fox Island West Wall, where I was able to capture a pretty good attack series: http://www.nwdiveclub.com/viewtopic.php ... ll#p205804. There is a huge colony of the tube anemones there, and I think Scubie Doo found another giant hunting there last week.

[dphershman]

Nice find and pics! I really like the colors. I've never seen one of them at Redondo, either.

...Someone got a really nice attack sequence at Fox awhile back,...?

Earlier this year, we found several at Fox Island West Wall, where I was able to capture a pretty good attack series: http://www.nwdiveclub.com/viewtopic.php ... ll#p205804. There is a huge colony of the tube anemones there, and I think Scubie Doo found another giant hunting there last week.

COOL!