Whidbey Island Critters

[oldsalt]

Jan: While I don't comment on every one of your postings, I read every one of them. Now that I'm not diving, I count on you and some of the other marvelous photographers on this board, to give me my dive fix. I can't feel sorry for myself. I had over 40 years of diving after I was left for dead. Right now I'm sitting on my boat in a marina after a day on the sound with seals, sea lions, porpoise, jumping salmon, and hundreds of sea birds. While I saw no new animals today, I saw some I haven't seen in a long time. This sea cucumber is marvelous. Thanks for letting me look inside the tent.
-Curt
Still looking for the sperm whale, beluga, spectacled eider....

[Jan K]

Thanks for kind words ...
Returned to Deception Pass for couple more dives. Yesterday I joined two other Whidbey divers.
Paul was showing the "ropes" to Chris - his first dive at the Pass. And good one it was. Visibility
was decent and the current minimal. Here is a sampler of the wall. Coming to it from west first
appears the Giant barnacle covered wall and then on the eastern end Feather dusters take over.
Big patches of Painted anemones after the wall ends and rocky slope appears. Glove sponges in
the shallower parts.

[LCF]

Jan, there just ain't nobody else who can take pictures like you can. What an incredible documentation of the site those pictures provide!

[Jan K]

Jan, there just ain't nobody else who can take pictures like you can.

Lynne, I wish that was the case, but I am sure divers have plenty of better ones, they are just not posting.
And since I live on the island, I manage to dive there more often. And so I got more pictures to flood this
website.

[LCF]

You're just posting all that gorgeousness to make me feel worse about not getting to dive the pass two weeks ago . . . but I will return!

[Jan K]

Well, it was a long way coming.Chris and I were planning to visit the Orange sea pen
bed where he wanted to video the feeding hordes of Striped nudibranch. Finally,
after more then one year, we met on a windy afternoon and get in the water to see
what we can find. Yes, we found many, many slugs, but the usual forest of sea pens
was not there. Just few here and there, plus plenty of white "spines", all what was
left of what once was a towering orange beauty.
Visibility was nice once we got deeper, the Eel grass area was murky due to silt
stirred up by the choppy sea aboveI guess. We spend pleasant hour looking around,
collecting pixels into our cameras...

[H20doctor]

thank you for meeting me yesterday... I had a great time diving and filming in your backyard... what an amazing sight to see!!! I truly enjoy your company, and your knowledge of the underwater world..

[Jan K]

Yes, it was great,I am looking forward to see your video.
Here are some shots of the moving sea pen I told you about...

[thefeve]

Well, it was a long way coming.Chris and I were planning to visit the Orange sea pen
bed where he wanted to video the feeding hordes of Striped nudibranch. Finally,
after more then one year, we met on a windy afternoon and get in the water to see
what we can find. Yes, we found many, many slugs, but the usual forest of sea pens
was not there. Just few here and there, plus plenty of white "spines", all what was
left of what once was a towering orange beauty.
Visibility was nice once we got deeper, the Eel grass area was murky due to silt
stirred up by the choppy sea aboveI guess. We spend pleasant hour looking around,
collecting pixels into our cameras...

May I ask how you mounted that gopro using the locking attachment? I've been tryin to find a good way to do this and haven't had much luck yet, but that setup looks perfect!

[Jan K]

You got to contact H20 doctor, I just shoot stills. That is him with the video gear

[Jan K]

Little fun with a mirror. The Scalyheads were really interested

[Jan K]

[Nwbrewer]

Jan,

While the discussion of fish cognition is extremely fascinating, the Nudibranch images are stunning!

[Jan K]

Thank you, I am glad you like them, it is something new for me to play with while I dive
the same sites again and again

[Paladin4Christ]

What a great idea using the mirror.

The pics look fantastic.

[LCF]

These are incredible art! LOVE the Janolus!

[Jan K]

I am so glad you like them, because I am having a blast with my mirror.
Looks like some of the fish like the mirror too

[Scubie Doo]

Very cool Jan. I thought about doing that. But didn't have the patience The effects are way cool though. I might have to give it a shot.

Did you do anything special to keep silt/debris off the mirror?

[Jan K]

Very cool Jan. I thought about doing that. But didn't have the patience The effects are way cool though. I might have to give it a shot. Did you do anything special to keep silt/debris off the mirror?

Yes, it is fun, open a new way to look at some of the local critters from a different angles. The silt and debris are problem, especially when current is present, I just shake the mirror time to time and some of the removal done in the computer at home, for it does distract from the scene. I am sure that with your artistic eye you will create great images. Good luck

[Scubie Doo]

Thanks Jan. These are really cool.

[Jan K]

SInce I have no other explanation for the Lingcod rubbing its body
on the gravel sea floor -

[Tom Nic]

One of the joys of diving on a regular basis, and at regular sites, is being there for and noticing so many amazing behaviors. Jan, you take that up a notch by sharing them with us. Thank you... again.

[Jan K]

Thank you Tom.
More from Keystone:

[LCF]

Love these, Jan! Keep them coming!

[Jan K]

Thank you Lynne.
One of the rewards of the mirror "project" was that I found another afflicted crab with the mysterious
swollen abdominal flap. The first panel shows the normal shape, the second is the sick crab...