Black Cormorant

Diving Over the Moon

Two divers swim past a moon sponge, on the North side of Santa Cruz.

Diver on Sand Plain

Swimming into a stiff current isn't much fun, and if the scenery is boring it may not be very entertaining either. 

Sea Pens

Sea pens on sand, in current, off the East side of Santa Rosa Island.  The east side of the island is sheltered, but most of the bottom is sand until quite close to the rocky shore.  Stiff currents can make it tough to reach the fun spots.

Blue Hole

Sometimes dive training gets a little serious in the Blue Hole, as divers do fin pivots on squares of PVC pipe suspended at 40 ft, or practice compass navigation within the confines of the sinkhole.

Krill through a Crevice

A river of krill flows through a crevice at San Miguel Island.  Somehow krill seems to be associated with arctic regions, but it certainly appears at San Miguel and sometimes southward.  Apparently the word "krill" comes from a Norwegian word meaning "fish eggs".  The krill are, of course, tiny crustaceans.

Krill Flow

Krill flows past a crevice, at San Miguel Island.

Kelp Forest

Video on the Wall

Science diver videos the wall at Frenchy's Cove.  The wall drops from about 40 feet to 100 feet or more.  The brittle stars seem to get out of hand at times, in certain places. 

Sunrise South of Santa Cruz

Sunrise near Gull Island, on the south side of Santa Cruz, in midwinter.  East of this spot is Los Angeles.  South is, well, Antarctica, I guess.

A Cloudy Day in the Kelp Forest

Although occasionally the kelp forest is beautifully clear, often suspended life in the water makes for cloudy conditions.