Interesting evening ...
Got to the dive site just as the sun was setting over the Olympic Mts. ... spectacular.
Wind was kicking up some wave action ... getting in was ... interesting.
Unfortunately, I had to get right back out again. When I inflated my wing, the dang inflator hose popped right off. I had to de-fin, head back up to the car, fix the dang wing, and go do battle with the waves again.
We only swam a minute or so and decided to just drop and go. Water was pretty churned up down to about 15 or 20 feet ... then it cleared up nicely (once below the surge).
The dive was nice ... located all the usual suspects. Not terribly exciting ... but nice.
Then ... almost at the end of the dive ... I spotted something I had never seen before. There was this weird looking shrimp sitting on a kelp leaf. It's pincer arms made this rectangular shape, with stubby little pincers on the ends. The tail was large and triangular. I don't recall ever seeing one quite like that before ... it looked almost like a cartoon caricature of a shrimp ... not quite real. I snuck up on it trying to get a picture ... but it jumped back and disappeared before I could.
Then, right there on the kelp leaf where the shrimp had been, I spotted this ...
Dang! Haven't seen one of those for about three years ... wouldn't have seen this one either if it hadn't been for that foolish shrimp. Thing was t-i-n-y ... maybe a half-inch in diameter.
I took about 40 shots ... maybe five or six were even in focus. Tough to get a pic of something that small with a point-n-shoot ... the camera doesn't know what I'm looking at.
Cory and I stuck around for a few minutes staring at that silly looking little fish ...
... who said God doesn't have a sense of humor ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
TTN tonight - 11/29/07
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- I've Got Gills
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Great shot, Bob. Probably too small for me to see. I have to settle for looking at yours
http://JanKocian.smugmug.com
I take photos because I like it, not because I'm good at it. by Unknown
I take photos because I like it, not because I'm good at it. by Unknown
WooHoo! Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker! Awesome find!
I've read about these being spotted at Three Tree N in the Winter months (http://www.seaotter.com) but I hadn't heard of one recently.
Another of the many reasons I love this site!
I've read about these being spotted at Three Tree N in the Winter months (http://www.seaotter.com) but I hadn't heard of one recently.
Another of the many reasons I love this site!
More Pics Than You Have Time To Look AT
"Anyone who thinks this place is over moderated is bat-crazy anarchist." -Ben, Airsix
"Warning: No dive masters are going to be there, Just a bunch of old fat guys taking pictures of fish." -Bassman
"Anyone who thinks this place is over moderated is bat-crazy anarchist." -Ben, Airsix
"Warning: No dive masters are going to be there, Just a bunch of old fat guys taking pictures of fish." -Bassman
Sweeet! One of my favorites and at the VERY top of my "list of extra cool critters."
Tom and I happened upon one early this year at DIW - same deal: Waves sucked at the top so we dropped in, heading across the "muck" and one of us saw this hot-pink little golfball on a rock. I don't remember who saw it first, but Tom proceeded to take about 50 pictures of it and for a minute I 110% totally forgot that my favorite shore dive and wall in the entire Puget Sound with lots of wolfies and octos was waiting just a 20 yards west.
Ours was about 1" in diameter and was bright pink - I like your little irridescent (sp?) one!! GREAT FIND!!!
SPL's can turn even the worst dive into one for the record books! I LOVE those little guys!!!
Tom and I happened upon one early this year at DIW - same deal: Waves sucked at the top so we dropped in, heading across the "muck" and one of us saw this hot-pink little golfball on a rock. I don't remember who saw it first, but Tom proceeded to take about 50 pictures of it and for a minute I 110% totally forgot that my favorite shore dive and wall in the entire Puget Sound with lots of wolfies and octos was waiting just a 20 yards west.
Ours was about 1" in diameter and was bright pink - I like your little irridescent (sp?) one!! GREAT FIND!!!
SPL's can turn even the worst dive into one for the record books! I LOVE those little guys!!!
GUE Seattle - The official GUE Affiliate in the Northwest!
- Grateful Diver
- I've Got Gills
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- Joined: Mon May 15, 2006 7:52 pm
Went back with Cheng and Jimmie yesterday. Didn't find any SPL's, but did find a few other interesting critters. This dive was slow and shallow ... we were looking for small stuff.
To start ... can someone tell me what kind of shrimp this is?
Coupla skeleton shrimp pics ... they were everywhere ...
A coupla interesting nudis ...
Funny what you can see when you spend an entire dive looking no more than a coupla feet in front of you ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
To start ... can someone tell me what kind of shrimp this is?
Coupla skeleton shrimp pics ... they were everywhere ...
A coupla interesting nudis ...
Funny what you can see when you spend an entire dive looking no more than a coupla feet in front of you ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)