Northwest Dive Club

Unlike most other sea stars, this one broods its young !

Something refreshing about seeing baby stars....

Now I know what those little tiny white starfish are! Thanks, Jan!

Just when I thought I can put away the "Sea Star Wasting Syndrome Survey" headline,
I find first signs of the dreadful disease appear on Whidbey's most sea star populated site.
I don't know what the curling of juvenile Sunflower stars is all about, only the ones above 25 foot depth were doing it.
The ones on Tire reef look normal.

I first spotted it in December 2008. Looks like thew two heads function just fine

Some inspect the bridge above, I inspect what is below it

Happy Easter Egg Hunt !

Keystone Jetty

So awesome, as always I learn a lot too.

Thanks Jan!

Driftwood Park - hordes of hermits and I found 5 Wolf eels in a small area of the tire reef...

Keeping an eye on sea stars

It was a busy place on Sunday. Deception Pass had 19 divers brave the currents

And the following day - on Monday, I had the Pass all to myself

For years I am trying to share information about the marine life I encounter on my dives. Since I am not an expert by any means, I relay on outside sources to help me out. Unfortunately, sometimes I pass on a very wrong information which I received from what I thought are good sources since they should be smarter than me. And I don't mean Wikipedia. One example is the life span of Sunflower sea star, critter which I cover a lot because of the wasting disease surveys. If it wasn't for friendly hand by real expert, I would just pass on the wrong information, adding to the train of BS. Thank you Greg !

As an avid Jan Kocian fan, I won't let you sell yourself short. I find having you and Greg both on this website to be a marvelous gift. Science benefits from both academics and from disciplined observers such as you. The most respected scholars are wrong now and then, so keep it coming.
-Curt

Thank you Curt, I owe lot to Greg who helped me a lot more than once.
And also others who answer my e-mail inquiry, I do like to give credit whenever I can.

This is the time of the year -

Now we have two sites on Whidbey with promising population of Pycnopodias.
After almost four months, I revisited Holmes Harbor and was pleasantly surprised to find multitudes of Sunflower stars there. Of course, most of them are still small, but their numbers are greater that they were before the wasting disease struck. Hopefully they will grow and multiply...

Hooooooooray!

Interesting encounter, unfortunately in very murky waters...

Wow, Yelloweye is looking for these critters and you hit a jackpot!

Another critter from the muck ...

Yes, I think to myself,
What a wonderful world.
Oh yeah.

Wow!! Those creations might be your best yet!!!

Very nicely done, indeed.