Diving in California

[denise]

California is the third-largest state by area, and most populated state, in the USA. Located on the western coast of USA, it is known for varied climate ranging from Mediterranean to Subarctic! Most of the state enjoys a Mediterranean climate with cool rainy winters and dry summers. Air temperature generally hovers from the mid-60s to mid-70s, but can soar to more than 100 degrees during summer months.

Depending on location, Californian seawater temperatures reach a low of 49°F during winter months and a high of 75°F in the late summer. In general water temperature becomes colder in the North and warmer in the South. The cool offshore California Current, creates highly productive upwellings, supporting large populations of whales, seabirds and fisheries. It is also responsible for producing summer fogs near the coast.

Visibility is dependent on season and site, during the winter months heavy rains cause a wash off that drastically reduces visibility. Generally visibility is 30 - 50 feet in the kelp forests, and can be more than 100 feet in the open ocean. Kelp forest diving is one of the most popular types of diving in California, as this habitat supports thousands of plants and animals of all shapes and sizes within its canopy. Everything from fish to jellyfish, sea urchins to sea stars, sea otters, dolphins, whales and sharks make this habitat their home.

Here is a collection of pictures courtesy of Micheal Hallack (http://picasaweb.google.com/SoCalSwami), to give us an insight of some of the beautiful creatures that make their home in the waters off California.


http://www.scubadiver.cc/fishid/bandedguitarfish.jpg
Banded Guitarfish

http://www.scubadiver.cc/fishid/brownshrimp.jpg
Close up of Brown Shrimp

http://www.scubadiver.cc/fishid/dogfish1.jpg
Dogfish

http://www.scubadiver.cc/fishid/eel1.jpg
Small eel on the hunt for food

http://www.scubadiver.cc/fishid/fingeheadfish.jpg
Fringehead fish

http://www.scubadiver.cc/fishid/fish1.jpg
Cod

http://www.scubadiver.cc/fishid/fish2.jpg
Grouper

http://www.scubadiver.cc/fishid/fish3.jpg
Damselfish

http://www.scubadiver.cc/fishid/nudibranch1.jpg
Nudibranch

http://www.scubadiver.cc/fishid/nudibranch2.jpg
Nudibranch

http://www.scubadiver.cc/fishid/nudibranch3.jpg
Nudibranch

http://www.scubadiver.cc/fishid/nudibranch4.jpg
Nudibranch

http://www.scubadiver.cc/fishid/octopus1.jpg
Octopus

http://www.scubadiver.cc/fishid/twospotoctopus.jpg
Octopus again

http://www.scubadiver.cc/fishid/redoctopus.jpg
Red Octopus

http://www.scubadiver.cc/fishid/scorpioneatingsquid.jpg
Scorpionfish eating a squid

http://www.scubadiver.cc/fishid/seasnail.jpg
Seasnail

http://www.scubadiver.cc/fishid/seastar1.jpg
Sea Star

http://www.scubadiver.cc/fishid/squid.jpg
Squid

http://www.scubadiver.cc/fishid/thornbackray.jpg
Thornback Ray

http://www.scubadiver.cc/fishid/urchinandanemone.jpg
Sea Urchin and anemone

http://www.scubadiver.cc/fishid/urchinandfish.jpg
Sea Urchin and Damselfish

[denise]

A few more photos from Micheal Hallack (http://picasaweb.google.com/SoCalSwami), who has been diving almost every weekend since his trip out to Florida last May.


http://www.dayo.com/fishid/crab_11mh.JPG
Crab on sea grass

http://www.dayo.com/fishid/shortneckpearcrab_11mh.jpg
Short necked pear crab on a strand of seaweed

http://www.dayo.com/fishid/grouper_22mh.jpg
Groupers swimming through seaweed

http://www.dayo.com/fishid/grouper_11mh.JPG
Close up of grouper

http://www.dayo.com/fishid/octopus_11mh.JPG
Octopus

http://www.dayo.com/fishid/rockpoolblenny_11mh.jpg
Close up of a rock pool blenny

http://www.dayo.com/fishid/shrimp_11mh.JPG
Shrimp with sand dollars in the background

http://www.dayo.com/fishid/squideggs_11mh.jpg
Squid eggs

http://www.dayo.com/fishid/turbot_11mh.jpg
Turbot resting on the sea bed