BajaNomad

Back to the Little Stuff

Ken Bondy - 9-30-2007 at 07:10 PM

From great white sharks at Isla Guadalupe to the little critters under the Coast Guard Pier in Morro Bay. What a contrast in my last two dives! Friday was the highest tide I have ever seen in Morro Bay (6.5 ft – full moon). The water filled up all the wetlands canals and came right up to Los Osos Valley Road. There were probably 50 egrets and two or three blue herons taking advantage of all the water.

As you can imagine, the water under the pier was VERY clean, I think the viz was about 15 feet. Also the warmest I think I have ever seen 57F. As for the critters, they were the usual suspects, 3 or 4 species of nudibranchs (nothing rare), several fringeheads, a shy little octopus, and a cluster of beautiful tube anemones in shallow water near the exit point that I should have spent more time with. All in all another great dive. Here are a few photos.

I didn't notice how pretty the shaft of this tube anemone was. I should have spent more time with them, but I know where they are and will get them next time:



Clown nudibranch:



Shy little octopus:



There is a little shrimp coming out of the mouth of this fringehead:



Muy guapo este fringehead:



Abrazos,

++Ken++

DENNIS - 9-30-2007 at 07:14 PM

Beautiful work, Ken......As always. I never tire of seeing it.

Al G - 9-30-2007 at 07:32 PM

Me too...thank you.

amir - 9-30-2007 at 07:34 PM

You've done it again, Ken! Beautiful pictures.

Lucky fringeheads that there are all those bottles down there they can hide in... Were there fewer of them before man's pollution?

Ken Bondy - 9-30-2007 at 07:43 PM

Thanks very much DENNIS, Al G, and amir. amir, I wonder where fringeheads hung out before they invented bottles? :) ++Ken++

Bajalero - 9-30-2007 at 07:49 PM

Ken : Wonderful

All great photos once again. It's got me thinking you should start a new magazine

UnderSea Exposé ?

I always enjoy the fringeheads the most. They're the "Mr. Grumpys' "of the ocean

Cypress - 9-30-2007 at 07:51 PM

Ken Bondy Thanks:) Those little critters are neat.:)

Roberto - 9-30-2007 at 08:01 PM

Ken, great pictures.

Tell me again what equipment you use? I have a Calypso Nikonos V and an Epson V700 to scan the negatives, but my pics are not as sharp as yours - what's the secret?

Ken Bondy - 9-30-2007 at 08:34 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Roberto
Ken, great pictures.

Tell me again what equipment you use? I have a Calypso Nikonos V and an Epson V700 to scan the negatives, but my pics are not as sharp as yours - what's the secret?


Thanks Roberto. I use a Fuji S2 Pro DSLR in a Subal housing with two Nikon SB105 strobes. These were taken with a Nikon 60mm lens.

Baja&Back - 9-30-2007 at 08:35 PM

That's as good of underwater closeups as I have ever seen in magazines!!!

Well done. :bounce:

jerry - 9-30-2007 at 08:49 PM

Yup Ken you done good again thanks

fdt - 9-30-2007 at 08:59 PM

Just beautiful, your pictures leve me in awe.:wow:

Gnome-ad - 9-30-2007 at 09:24 PM

Fantastic once again. The tube anemone is my favorite for beauty, but you can’t beat the fringeheads for personality – if a fish can have a personality! Thanks again! Keep ‘em coming!

The Sculpin - 10-1-2007 at 09:14 AM

Ken - quick question.....now that you have seen whitey up close, has it changed your diving habits? Are you more aware of your surroundings? Are you quicker to react to your peripheral vision?
I'm curious, because when I first noticed sharks while surfing, I was on alert the whole time. After awhile, I just didn;t give it a thought - got used to it, I guess. Of course, I've never knowingly surfed with whitey.

Ken Bondy - 10-1-2007 at 11:27 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by The Sculpin
Ken - quick question.....now that you have seen whitey up close, has it changed your diving habits? Are you more aware of your surroundings? Are you quicker to react to your peripheral vision?
I'm curious, because when I first noticed sharks while surfing, I was on alert the whole time. After awhile, I just didn;t give it a thought - got used to it, I guess. Of course, I've never knowingly surfed with whitey.


Sculpin

No, it hasn't really changed my diving habits. I am just glad to have finally seen one. I have dived in several locations where whitey hangs out (San Miguel Island, some places on Santa Rosa) and I have always been conscious of their potential presence. I have been on dives at San Miguel when other divers saw them, but not me. I don't think actually seeing them has made me more aware. I have dived and photographed a LOT of sharks and I am very comfortable with them, maybe more comfortable than I should be, but that's the way it is. Doc Anes, the owner of San Diego Shark Diving, the outfit I was with at Guadalupe, has a great line when he warns divers to not hang out the cage, "It's not the one you see that gets you." That doesn't mean you shouldn't be aware of them and look for them in places where they are known to be. ++Ken++

Wingnut - 10-1-2007 at 05:58 PM

Thanks for the pix, they are simply outstanding. Keep up the work.

Eli - 10-1-2007 at 08:25 PM

Ken Bondy, thank you so much for the little stuff, they are so cute! My favorite is the shy octopus, what a sweet eye.

elgatoloco - 10-1-2007 at 08:49 PM

Great stuff! Thanks!!:yes:

Ken

Baja Bernie - 10-1-2007 at 09:24 PM

Someone recently suggested that you post something to put me in a better mood....I don't remember who but they sure knew how I reacted you your shots. Thanks for the smiles which you provide each and every time you dunk your head under the waters.

Ken Bondy - 10-1-2007 at 10:11 PM

Bernie I wish I could help. You are a true joy here, a pioneer and an inspiration, I don't understand what is going on with you, but if my silly fish pictures can help I will overload you with them :)

[Edited on 10-2-2007 by Ken Bondy]