BajaNomad

Anacapa 11-16

Ken Bondy - 11-20-2006 at 09:24 PM

Here are a few photos from Anacapa Island last Thursday:

Spanish shawl crawling over obstacle:



Blue-banded goby guarding scallop:



Tube anemone:

AmoPescar - 11-20-2006 at 10:01 PM

Hi Ken,

As always, really GREAT PHOTOS!!! That Goby is really beautiful!

Michael

Diver - 11-20-2006 at 11:00 PM

Ken,

I saw your post and my mind said "oh boy" more pictures !!

I honestly don't think there is anything better in Cousteau's "The Ocean World". And it sold millions of copies !!

Thanks again for sharing; for free !!

.

Skipjack Joe - 11-20-2006 at 11:42 PM

That anemone came out really well. Lots of people photograph anemones but rarely do you get an image like that. The dark background with the light on the subject is what did it. I think you used the same idea on the nude. But the translucence of the arms of the anemone is remarkably beautiful.

Eli - 11-21-2006 at 05:38 AM

Ken Bondy, You are an artist with great vision, thank you so much for sharing it with the rest of us! I am so glad I have been around long enough so that when seeing author Bondy-forum photo; I actually had saliva flowing with the anticisapation which I assure you lived up to my expectaions. Awesome, beautiful, you just took me where I will never go; the lights, aw man, what a way to start the day in a chili dark room in Oaxaca.

Oh que, now, it is time for me to go paint. Again, thanks for the insperation.

oxxo - 11-21-2006 at 07:02 AM

Outstanding, Ken! It makes me want to go strap my tank on.

What is the status of the scallops around Anacapa? Any Abs?

Keep it up!

[Edited on 11-21-2006 by oxxo]

Ken Bondy - 11-21-2006 at 08:18 AM

Mil gracias AmoPescar, Diver, Skipjack Joe, Sara, oxxo. Oxxo you still see a fair amount of scallops at Anacapa but the abs are gone. I haven't seen an abalone there in years, even at the protected east end where these photos were taken.

Natalie Ann - 11-21-2006 at 09:17 AM

One more time, Ken, thank you for brightening my morning with your fantastic photos. I agree with Skipjack that the anemone picture is really a great one. But my personal favorite is that Spanish Shawl... the variety and depth of those colors is awesome. Please don't ever stop sharing your pictures with us!

[Edited on 11-21-2006 by Natalie Ann]

DianaT - 11-21-2006 at 09:57 AM

MAGNIFICENT Photos. Thanks for sharing them.



Diane

[Edited on 11-21-2006 by jdtrotter]

jerry - 11-21-2006 at 10:10 AM

thank you for the fabulous pictures allway a welcome site

spike - 11-21-2006 at 10:16 AM

Ken,
Beatifull! It all looks so fragile, that you can see what we can lose if we aren't carefull how we treat our world. Thankyou.
Spike

shari - 11-21-2006 at 10:28 AM

Stunning photos como siempre Ken....do those spanish shawl critters sting...someone told me they do...another question is...have you ever had or heard of bad experiences snorkeling with sea lions? It was soooo fun but I'd like your advice on if it's a safe thing to do. My husband who is a diver says you just need to keep your extremeties moving at all times so they dont chomp on them???

spike - 11-21-2006 at 10:48 AM

Shari,
Check out this story. I don't think this is "normal" behavior, but...............
Spike

spike - 11-21-2006 at 10:49 AM

Sorry!!
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/11/18/BAGO...
try that
Spike

spike - 11-21-2006 at 10:55 AM

Still not pasting right. Sorry about that. The news story just happened this week, about an aggresive sea lion, in San Fansisco biting swimmers. They thought it was very odd behavior.
Spike

Sallysouth - 11-21-2006 at 11:54 AM

Oh Boy, Another phenominal photo post by Ken, always brings a smile and awe! Thanks again Ken.Fantastic Spanish Shawl!!!! Sally

Super eye candy Ken

Sharksbaja - 11-21-2006 at 02:00 PM

You da master!

Cypress - 11-21-2006 at 02:09 PM

THANKS! Up close and personal!:yes:

Ken Bondy - 11-21-2006 at 03:02 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by shari
Stunning photos como siempre Ken....do those spanish shawl critters sting...someone told me they do...another question is...have you ever had or heard of bad experiences snorkeling with sea lions? It was soooo fun but I'd like your advice on if it's a safe thing to do. My husband who is a diver says you just need to keep your extremeties moving at all times so they dont chomp on them???


Gracias shari. Many nudibranchs ingest stinging cells from anemones that they use on prey and predators. I don't know if the Spanish Shawl is one of them. I am unaware of any human ever being stung by a nudibranch. Most nudibranchs are also toxic to fish and stuff that wants to eat them. Many scientists think that is the reason for the gaudy colors and patterns - warning, don't eat me, you will regret it.

I have never had a bad experience with snorkeling or diving with sea lions on scuba and have done it many times in California and Baja. The pups and females are often intimidating with dramatic swoops and close fly-bys that they seem to enjoy. I have had the young ones take my arm and hand into their mouth many times, but when they do that they have been very gentle, just gumming it to see what it tastes like. No individual has ever bitten down hard. At Los Islotes, the large sealion colony in La Paz Bay, I have been told that the big males get aggressive in the Spring when they are mating, but I haven't seen it personally all though at that time of year it would be a good idea to let an 800# bull do anything he wants. Regards, ++Ken++

[Edited on 11-21-2006 by Ken Bondy]

Ken Bondy - 11-21-2006 at 03:12 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by lencho
Quote:
Originally posted by Ken Bondy
Mil gracias AmoPescar, Diver, Skipjack Joe, Sara, oxxo. Oxxo you still see a fair amount of scallops at Anacapa but the abs are gone.


Jeesh, when I was going to school at SBCC in about '80, we had a couple of classmates putting themselves through school diving abs (legally) out at the islands. They'd go out for a few days and come back with a full load which they sold to restaurants.

How things have changed... :o

--Larry


They sure have changed as far as the abs are concerned. Like you lencho in the 70s and 80s I used to see them everywhere, big pinks piled up on top of each other at the kelp holdfasts, whites at the northern islands, blacks by the ton in the shallow water. I sure hope this is some kind of natural cycle. The same thing isn't true with other species, witness the comeback of the black sea bass. But it is sad not to see any abalone any more.

Ken Bondy - 11-21-2006 at 03:13 PM

Thanks so much to all of you for the kind words. Hopefully in the near future I can get some new photos posted that actually were made in Baja :)

shari - 11-22-2006 at 08:18 AM

Thanks so much Ken for your reply. Playing in the water with the sealions was an incredible experience for these kids from Saskatchewan and I would love to introduce more kids to this type of interaction with wildlife here.

Ken Bondy - 11-22-2006 at 09:50 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by shari
Thanks so much Ken for your reply. Playing in the water with the sealions was an incredible experience for these kids from Saskatchewan and I would love to introduce more kids to this type of interaction with wildlife here.


Based on my experience I would certainly recommend that kids and sealions are a great mix. My encounters with seals and sealions have been magical. You may have seen this one with my daughter Coleen and a harbor seal:


DianaT - 11-22-2006 at 11:24 AM

I can't find the right words to describe that picture---it is just fantastic. :yes::yes:

Can't wait to see more.

Diane

Bob H - 11-24-2006 at 08:28 PM

Again, just outstanding underwater photography Ken! Then, the one you posted of your daughter with the harbor seal just took my breath away. It appears that this seal is attempting to hug your daughter - sureal.
Thanks again for sharing your artwork!
Bob H