Northwest Dive Club

kcamfield wrote:Are they poisonous? They look like a stone fish.

Maybe somebody can enlighten us. I did not find anything in my books about
Buffalo sculpin being poisonous. Just avoid the spines, like everything sharp,
if they puncture your flesh - it will hurt

Just another dive at Langley

Jan: Years ago I took a series of ichtyology courses in the San Juans. We studied several venomous fish, but I can find no reference to toxins in the sculpin. They are just ugly, except to mama sculpin.
- Curt

Is it just me, or does that Buffalo Sculpin look like it's in REAL bad shape? ...and I don't mean just the ugly.

It looks to me like it could use those spines to keep from getting swallowed, and the skin on that thing looks terrible, like he's been partially digested. It kind of reminds me of my cat after it's had a run in with a big dog - hair stuck every which way, stiff as a board, hissing and spitting at anything (including me) that get's near it, so full of kitty adrenaline that it takes it 5 minutes to get sorta "normal" (though we are talking cat normal).

Tom Nic wrote:Is it just me, or does that Buffalo Sculpin look like it's in REAL bad shape? ...and I don't mean just the ugly.

It looks to me like it could use those spines to keep from getting swallowed, and the skin on that thing looks terrible, like he's been partially digested. It kind of reminds me of my cat after it's had a run in with a big dog - hair stuck every which way, stiff as a board, hissing and spitting at anything (including me) that get's near it, so full of kitty adrenaline that it takes it 5 minutes to get sorta "normal" (though we are talking cat normal).

Looks like it's on it's last legs to me, if not already dead?

"Face Palm" ...just realized where the "Buffalo" came from in Buffalo Sculpin. Doh...

Jan K wrote:Nudibranch egg roll

Outstanding photojournalism in my so humble opinion. Even with out the narration, your eyes are draw to put together the important elements that make up the story. A picture worth a thousand words.

Although visibility is not living up to "winter is better" reputation, the critters are
still around to enjoy.. Outing with my daughter at Keystone ...

So two large nudibranch meet on a muddy seafloor. It was love at first sight.

Oh No! Nudie porn complete with close ups!

Do we have to put an "R" rating on this thread now?

LCF wrote:Do we have to put an "R" rating on this thread now?

At least! I'd say more like an X rating

Porno? I thought they are holding hands !
To take your mind off xxx nudibranchs, here is a worm which was busy swimming up
in the water column during the day ...

Oh, what a pretty thing!

Just a few comments on the last few posts -
That Opalescent nudi was almost albino - except for some midline color. Very unusual! I've seen them in many different color patterns, but not without color! Great find. Did you post that on one of the nudi forums? Curious to see if any others have seen one like that.

Wow, that Buffalo Sculpin sure does look dead! Did it move while you were taking pics? My understanding, although I've never seen it, is that they will stick out their cheek spines when they're caught and pulled out of the water. And I agree with the others - the dude should be in a trauma center. Probably managed to escape a ling cod recently. May need to go to counseling for PTLD if he manages to stay alive. (post traumatic ling disorder).

Also, my understanding too, is that Sculpins are not toxic, although they sure look like they should be.

Divers sure are seeing a lot of worms lately! Really great shots on the Nemertean worm with the surface of the water above it.

Interesting posts, and great photography as usual, Jan!

- Janna

nwscubamom wrote:Just a few comments on the last few posts -
That Opalescent nudi was almost albino - except for some midline color. Very unusual! I've seen them in many different color patterns, but not without color! Great find. Did you post that on one of the nudi forums? Curious to see if any others have seen one like that.

Wow, that Buffalo Sculpin sure does look dead! Did it move while you were taking pics? My understanding, although I've never seen it, is that they will stick out their cheek spines when they're caught and pulled out of the water. And I agree with the others - the dude should be in a trauma center. Probably managed to escape a ling cod recently. May need to go to counseling for PTLD if he manages to stay alive. (post traumatic ling disorder).

Also, my understanding too, is that Sculpins are not toxic, although they sure look like they should be.

Divers sure are seeing a lot of worms lately! Really great shots on the Nemertean worm with the surface of the water above it. - Janna

Thanks.
The "albino" Opalescent appeared on Slugsite, and nobody commented on it, so maybe it is not that unusual
That Buffalo sculpin is actually a very old post, the fish was alive, but I agree, it did not look happy. ( Not that ANY Buffalo sculpins do ...
The worm encounter happened after I retrieved a long piece of plastic board from the mud and handed it back to the workers who were putting together a new dock. My guess is that it got disturbed in its mud home and tried to swim away from the commotion. I had to shoot upward, since cloud of mud was wallowing around below us ... So I was lucky to see it swimming during the day and the surface gives it different look too

It was a static affair - I could not wait for the outcome being depended on limited life support equipment ...

I love squat lobsters -- they are such incredible improbable beasts, with their silly grins and their shameful taillessness

Couple of boat dives on Sunday.
First one on the Possession Point ferry. No current, but visibility not that good ...

My buddy Todd obviously could not find much neither, so he took picture of me

The second dive was off Camano Island. A new site marked on Todd's plotter as waypoint #55.
Our first and probably last dive here, not much to see on the short wall ..
But it is always worth checking out when something shows up on the side scan sonar.

Oh,that's fun, Jan! We rarely get to see pictures of the photographer!

Hairy tunicate very common on the underside of floating docks.
Hard to believe that we have common ancestors

These guys always look like a hairy Mickey Mouse head to me.

- Janna

Homage to a shallow dive

Looks like Ciona savignyi to me!

Me too. Not fond of the invasives but Jan your photos are lovely - last few scenes are really spectacular - such a variety of warm red/brown colors in the foreground and the beautiful green background for contrast. I think I've noticed that lately you're including more of our pretty green water in your photos and I'm really enjoying it.