BajaNomad - Mostly underwater

Mostly underwater

Ken Bondy - 8-25-2006 at 08:48 PM

Some non-Baja photos from earlier this week in Morro Bay:

How many nudibranchs can you count in this photo?:

And a little bonus:

AmoPescar - 8-25-2006 at 09:31 PM

KEN...

GREAT PHOTOS!

You are a master of capturing the beauty of the sea. It never fails to amaze me how much incredible stuff is down there. All the pictures are special, but the Otter pics are so darn cute!

AMO :wow:

[Edited on 8-26-2006 by AmoPescar]

Thanks morgaine7, grover and amopescar

Ken Bondy - 8-25-2006 at 09:34 PM

Thanks very much morgaine7, grover and amo for the kind words. grover we dive directly under the North T-Pier (the Coast Guard Pier). It is an amazing dive, loaded with life, and crawling (literally) with nudibranchs.

++Ken++

[Edited on 8-26-2006 by Ken Bondy]

AmoPescar - 8-25-2006 at 09:49 PM

KEN...

They photos seem even more amazing knowing that you were diving at such a simple location! I knew you had said Morro Bay, but you would have thought you were at some amazing spot, on a far away reef.

AMO

Ken Bondy - 8-25-2006 at 09:56 PM

AMO

It is really amazing what lives under that old wooden pier. It is rarely dived. Pier diving takes some technique (entry, exit, entanglements, etc.) and this one is very tide-related. It can only be dived at the slack daytime high tide (the currents are raging between the high and low tides). You have to be in the water about a half hour before slack and out about a half hour after. The current gently changes direction during the dive. It is the current that creates all the life in the bay, bringing in nutrients. I have never found a dive that I consistently enjoy as much as this one.

++Ken++

AmoPescar - 8-25-2006 at 10:15 PM

KEN...

Thanks for the interesting explaination. In retrospect, it doesn't surprise me that so much lives there. Morro Bay is a really beautiful place and there are so many amazing natural treasures in that area of the coast.

Quote:

It is really amazing what lives under that old wooden pier. It is rarely dived. Pier diving takes some technique (entry, exit, entanglements, etc.) and this one is very tide-related. It can only be dived at the slack daytime high tide (the currents are raging between the high and low tides). You have to be in the water about a half hour before slack and out about a half hour after. The current gently changes direction during the dive. It is the current that creates all the life in the bay, bringing in nutrients. I have never found a dive that I consistently enjoy as much as this one.

++Ken++

AMO

Colorful representation

Sharksbaja - 8-26-2006 at 01:13 AM

w/superb clarity and lighting....a privledge to view, Thanx..How long is the "slack" tide? Was that a total of 1 hr of diving?. What is the depth there, like 30 ft?

Ken Bondy - 8-26-2006 at 05:41 AM

Sharksbaja - thank you. The slack tide is the exact point when the tidal current reverses, (i.e., is zero). The current is manageable for about a half hour on either side. So the dives tend to be about 50 minutes to an hour long. Yes, the depth under the pier is about 30ft.

++Ken++

[Edited on 8-26-2006 by Ken Bondy]

Natalie Ann - 8-26-2006 at 08:36 AM

Those nudibranchs are such neat little creatures. I think the one that looks like a mama with her babies is my favorite this time. Thank you for posting these, Ken. What with all this talk of violence, it's nice to be reminded of the beauty of life.

Ken Bondy - 8-26-2006 at 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Natalie Ann
Those nudibranchs are such neat little creatures. I think the one that looks like a mama with her babies is my favorite this time. Thank you for posting these, Ken. What with all this talk of violence, it's nice to be reminded of the beauty of life.

That's kinda what I thought, Natalie Ann. I hesitated posting these at this time, but the board is so full of bad news these days that I thought maybe we needed a diversion. I like the nudibranch "family" image also, it was nice of them to line up in order of size for me like that

++Ken++

[Edited on 8-26-2006 by Ken Bondy]

David K - 8-26-2006 at 08:57 AM

Thank you Ken... good thinking amigo!

Oso - 8-26-2006 at 11:23 AM

Cool! I used to work for the Johnson's oyster company just south of there. Never even thought of diving around our dock.

Nudibranch or pepino??

Tomas Tierra - 8-26-2006 at 12:06 PM

the one with the white spots looks like a cucumber of some sort..never seen one of those, very cool! must be an "up north" creature.

Thanx Ken. A light thread is just what we all need.

btw, we had a black about 450#'s swimmin around the boat at San Nik the other day

Your day is coming Amigo, keep your eye's peeled.

Sharksbaja - 8-26-2006 at 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ken Bondy
Sharksbaja - thank you. The slack tide is the exact point when the tidal current reverses, (i.e., is zero). The current is manageable for about a half hour on either side. So the dives tend to be about 50 minutes to an hour long. Yes, the depth under the pier is about 30ft.

++Ken++

[Edited on 8-26-2006 by Ken Bondy]

Thanks Ken, I figured you meant "slack" tide was the "0" point. We have unbelievable currents here in the bay. Like as fast as a person can run. When you said an hour I was thinking about the "no-bubble" tables we used to use, hence 30ft.

[Edited on 8-26-2006 by Sharksbaja]

Ken Bondy - 8-26-2006 at 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Tomas Tierra
the one with the white spots looks like a cucumber of some sort..never seen one of those, very cool! must be an "up north" creature.

Thanx Ken. A light thread is just what we all need.

btw, we had a black about 450#'s swimmin around the boat at San Nik the other day

Your day is coming Amigo, keep your eye's peeled.

Gracias Tomas

It's a nudibranch, Triopha maculata. Fairly rare except in Morro Bay. I haven't given up on black sea bass, will keep my eyes peeled

I just wonder how many of them were looking over my shoulder while my head was buried in the reef/sand looking at nudibranchs :spingrin:

++Ken++

Cincodemayo - 8-26-2006 at 12:56 PM

Ken...again amazing photos! Do you have to be cleared to dive under a Coast Guard pier with all the terrorism crap these days?

Ken Bondy - 8-26-2006 at 09:33 PM

Cincodemayo
We check in with the Coast Guard before we dive. They know us pretty well. It is a public pier but it seems like a good idea to let the CG know that we are going to be underwater for about an hour. The CG men and women there are really great, makes you be proud to be an American. They are always interested in what we see under the pier.

++Ken++

ursidae69 - 8-28-2006 at 07:16 AM

I had to log in just to say that this thread is spectacular! Diving is on my list of things to learn soemday. Thanks for the stellar photos!

Cincodemayo - 8-28-2006 at 09:53 AM

Ken...that's awesome as the Coast Guard are great. Up here in the PNW they are flanking the ferry when it takes off and will head off any watercraft that even looks like it's getting close to the ferry. We are moving next month to the water and the guy that builds their smaller boats that won't capsize or sink owns a company called Safe Boats lives 2 doors down. He builds boats for the Coast Guard, Homeland Security, fire departments, police depts, ect....great site. I'd like to get one with the dual 50 caliber machine guns on the boat. www.safeboats.com

Keep those fantastic pics coming!

[Edited on 8-28-2006 by Cincodemayo]

coronamike - 9-21-2006 at 10:40 PM

Great shots Ken. I live in Morro Bay and it never occurred to me to dive under the T pier. Looks like we're the nudibranch capital of the world. Thanks, Mike

windgrrl - 9-22-2006 at 09:05 PM

The nutibranch pix just take my breath away!

aha baja - 9-23-2006 at 07:49 AM

Hey Ken great photos! It just so happens that I live in Morro Bay. Looks like the otters pics were taken near a point called target rock on the starbord side leaving the bay next to Coleman drive between Morro rock and the power plant inlet building.

kellychapman - 9-24-2006 at 09:43 AM

I can't believe we sold our lot in Morrow bay after viewing these magnificent pictures.....put national geographic to shame.....took my breath away.....I am breathless to say the least.....
Kelly

Photo euipment question por favor...

CasaManzana - 9-24-2006 at 02:54 PM

wow....to throw that much light on something 30' down, you must have a great strobe. Could you enlighten me/us on your equipment- the strobe, camera and case.

Cypress - 9-24-2006 at 05:18 PM

WOW Thanks for the pictures.

Ken Bondy - 9-26-2006 at 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by CasaManzana
wow....to throw that much light on something 30' down, you must have a great strobe. Could you enlighten me/us on your equipment- the strobe, camera and case.

CasaManzana

These were taken with a Fuji S2 Pro camera, Nikon 60mm lens, in a Subal housing with 2 Sea and Sea YS-90DX strobes. Some more information at

http://www.kenbondy.com/digital.htm

++Ken++

[Edited on 9-26-2006 by Ken Bondy]

Ken Bondy - 9-26-2006 at 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by aha baja
Hey Ken great photos! It just so happens that I live in Morro Bay. Looks like the otters pics were taken near a point called target rock on the starbord side leaving the bay next to Coleman drive between Morro rock and the power plant inlet building.

Not nearly that remote, aha baja

he was tied up right under one of the restaurants on the Embarcadero

++Ken++