A wonderful weekend in Monterey diving - first with Neil at Monastery Beach with kit from Aquarius, and then in Monterey Bay off the boat BeachHopper II. Thanks to Bruce and the team at Aquarius for the local info and the tips on good sites to dive, Brian on Beach Hopper II for making the trip even though there were few other people booked on, and Jeff for being my buddy!
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Hard to believe these are the same creature - the one on the left has closed over to digest something hefty!
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Starfish blend in amongst the kelp holdfasts.
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The anemones here are stunning, this one was about 15cm across.
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Huge sunstars prey on smaller starfish - this one is about 75cm across.
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David vs. Goliath. The tiny wee crab on the bottom right is standing his ground though...
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Neil scours the seabed for interesting life...
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...until he realises I have a camera pointed at him.
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You're going to see a lot of starfish I'm afraid...
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...or in this case partial starfish. This one was just reaching out and exploring as I snapped it.
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A very well disguised crab, identifiable only because of his huge claws.
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Another David vs. Goliath story - this time two hermit crabs.
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Tiny anemones grow in carpets on the pinnacle at Eriks Reef.
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The legs of a sunstar which must have been nearly 100cm across. Huge, it was.
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A strawberry anemone the size of a coffee mug.
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More anemones in a thick carpet.
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There is a clump of anemones and two 20cm starfish in the foreground. Behind you can just make out the huge bulge at the center of a 100cm sunstar. When it's all hunched up like that, it's digesting something substantial. I wonder if these starfish will be next...
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Starfish in all shapes and sizes roam rocks covered with life in every imaginable colour.
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Anemones guard a crevice containing a sponge and some prawns.
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Can you spot the fish?
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Nudibranch eggs, which means that nearby there must be...
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...a nudibranch! This one is about about the size of an egg.
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Detail of an anemone, showing the delicate mouth-parts in the center.
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A tube worm, just for some variety.
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Tiny wee fish.
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Jeff examines a rather large anemone.
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Close up of the anemone, with fish swimming past in the bacground. At depth vis was pretty good but on the way down it was less than a metre at times!
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A tiny blenny hides in his hole, and looks rather surprised at my flash!
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You'll never guess what this is...
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...and this. Yes, more blooming anemones.
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Let's switch back to starfish for some variety. OK, so there are anemones too.
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Another hard-to-spot fish.
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Last anemone, I promise.
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Some of the kelp stretched from 20m all the way to the surface. Incredible.
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A fishing boat in Monterey Bay.
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The harbour and Fisherman's Wharf.
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