Black Cormorant

Feather Dusters and Algae

A clustter of feather dusters at San Miguel, amidst sea urchins and red algae.  Why are the feather duster worms so colorful?

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.

Worm Tubescape

A rock covered with worm tubes, near Underwater Island at Anacapa.  Humans once spent most of their lives in a small community, with only a few members; as do these tubeworms today.

Christmas Tree Worms

The "Christmas Trees" are actually the feeding apparatus of the worm: its tongues? Each tiny frond has tiny needles.

Nudibranch Eggs

A nudibranch (or, more likely, two) left these spirals of eggs on the stem of a sea palm at Santa Rosa.  Nudibranchs are hermaphroditic, so perhaps both sprials have the same parents.

Kelp in Shallow Water

Kelp in shallow water, at Channels, on the South side of Anacapa.