January 2019

About January – 2019 Underwater Paparazzi Calendar

Happy 2019! Thank you for purchasing this years calendar! Part of sales go to a great cause, AfriOceans Conservation Alliance! We had the pleasure of meeting the founder and head of education in South Africa this past year and were impressed with their efforts of educating the next generation to help protect our oceans! 

The month of January features some of southern California’s local celebrities, the leopard shark! This image was shot almost exactly a year ago today. It was a surprise to find these sharks in the shallows of La Jolla in January when they are historically known to swim the shallows to mate and give birth in the late summer. You don’t have to be a scuba diver to see these beauties. A calm day, and some snorkel gear is all you need!

This type of hound shark loves the muddy or sand flats or even the shallow rocky reef. The diet of the shark consists of clams, shrimp, crabs, octopus and bony fish. It utilizes a combination of sucking and biting to capture its prey. The average size of a leopard ranges from 4 to 7 feet and they have a beautiful dark pattern from which they get their name. Leopard shark babies are born live and a mother can give birth to as many as 33 live pups!

 

The red octopus is one of my favorites! Watching them move so gracefully underwater is mesmerizing. This one in particular was taken in La Jolla Shores, California on the canyon wall about 60 feet below the surface. One fascinating octopus fact is when the female octopus lays her eggs, she stays with them till birth, protecting them and keeping them clean. She sadly forgoes eating to do this, and her time sadly ends after the eggs hatch.

Tuna crabs are generally a pelagic species but because of El Nino effects on our waters, they graced us with their presence the past few years. These guys are not strong swimmers, so they migrate by drifting with the tide, winds, and currents. The squat lobsters will completely blanket the sea floor and its pretty hilarious to watch them bouncing around and piling up on each other. Many species love a good meal of tuna crabs including tuna (given the name), rays, turtles, pinnipeds, squid, seabirds, and WHALES. So keep your eyes open if come across a blanket of tuna crabs! You never know what might be snacking on them near by!

Nudibranchs are always a fun find! These awesome sea slugs have amazing colors and textures and there are thousands of species! And they provide a fun challenge to photograph! They can be as tiny as a fraction of an inch to a few inches long. This was also shot in the La Jolla Shores canyon!

 

Have you ordered your 2019 Underwater Paparazzi Calendar yet? Proceeds go to a great cause!  Buy your new calendar here and learn all about the featured photos at the beginning of each month.

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