Black Cormorant

Sculpin

The gold-spangled fins of a sculpin would be the envy of any beauty in Santa Monica.

Rubberlip Seaperch

Schools of rubberlip seaperch prepare for mating. The male makes himself a dark color and keeps a sharp watch over his harem.

Halfmoons

A large schoolf of halfmoons at Santa Cruz. Their tails are said to resemble half moons, but I always think of the dark semicircular spot on the gill.

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.

Blue Hole

The Blue Hole, near Santa Rosa, New Mexico is known as a spot to learn to dive; but locals enjoy jumping in too!  Although over a hundred divers were trying to get into a 50-ft-wide hole that day, everyone seemed to have a good time. It's easy to imagine mastodons watering at this artesian well during the Ice Age; or the conquistadores riding by, as they explored the high limestone plateau they called the "staked plains". 

Brown Pelican

Brown pelicans have a very characteristic manner of flight.  They seem very efficient, lazily skimming the surface and surfing on the updrafts in front of waves.  When they spot a target, they gain altitude, wheel, and slice into the water beakfirst.

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.

Diver in Poor Visibility

Diver in low visibility.  A light can help, although it can also simply illuminate whatever is blocking the view to begin with.

Springtime in the Forest

Springtime excites a lot of new growth, as th increasing length of day triggers lots of activiity.