Black Cormorant

One Jelly

One Jelly. So far as I can tell, the arms weren't missing: they were just naturally short.

Kelp With Jellies

Kelp with Jellies at Splendid Arch in the Poor Knights.

Jellies Float above the Kelp Canopy

For some reason certain places in the Poor Knights Islands had a lot of invertebrate life. In the case of this dive side, Splendid Arch, the invertebrates were smallish jellies. A couple of them stung me (I think) but the sting was barely noticeable.

Middle Arch from the West

Middel Arch seen from the West.  This side is more sheltered, since the main northern island of the Poor Knights (Tawhiti Rahi) is behind.  Most of the diving takes place from this side.

Floating Triplefins

Some triplefins like to float above the bottom in dispersed schools. What are they after? These were near Meditation Wall.

Anemone at the Poor Knights Islands

The strong points of diving in the Poor Knights Islands are: the kelp, the enormous schools of fish, and the invertebrates. They are similar to the California Channel Islands: a kelp based ecosystem: but everything is different. Here an anemone waits for the passing water to bring some food.

Fat Scorpionfish Abides

The Poor Knights Islands have lots of scorpionfish. For whatever reason, they tend to get big and chubby. This fellow was hanging out on the carpet of invertebrates underneath the colony kelp at Middle Arch. A few damselfish were zipping about under the kelp canopy here: more swam under the canopy at shallower depths.

Kelp Fields of the Poor Knights

The underwater kelp fields of the Poor Knights Islands are magnificent. The kelp is relatively short and branching: more like the sea palms of Southern California kelp, than like the macrocystis kelp that dominates the kelp forests. But, it is abundant. Underneath the low canopy is a carpet of sessile invertebrates, with fish of many stripes cruising through the shade.

Jumping In

Here I am jumping in off the dive boat El Tigre, at Middle Arch at the Tawiti Rahi, the northernmost of the Poor Knights Islands.

Feeding Frenzy of Fish and Birds

A school of fish roils the surface just off the Sugarloaf, as birds dive to dine as well. Captain Ben of the Bright Arrow said the the focus was a school of very small fish, darting to the surface to avoid being eaten by the larger predatory fish and the birds.