March 2019

About March – 2019 Underwater Paparazzi Calendar

The magical kelp forests of the Channel Islands. I will never tire of seeing those light rays shine through the canopies of kelp that illuminate the ocean below. The rhythmic sway of the kelp stalks is nothing short of mesmerizing and an experience I would wish for you all. With the warmer waters and strong storms in the past few years from El Nino, our kelp forests had started to deteriorate. But luckily, they are resilient and when given the chance with the colder water temperatures, they bounce back! Kelp can grow up to 18 inches per day in ideal conditions and grow to be 150ft tall! Kelp is important to our eco system and provides food and shelter for many marine creatures. And, of course, an incredible playground for us divers! This photo was taken at the southern most channel island called San Clemente and was shot no more than 15 feet below the surface.

 

Bat Rays are some of the coolest creatures! They tend to be seasonal here in San Diego and it always such a treat to see them! They spook easily and rarely let you get close to them but I got really lucky on this dive! This bat ray was so busy eating, it took awhile to notice me. It was so awesome to be able to just quietly observe it! They will flap their fins to disrupt the sandy bottom looking for food and use their nose to dig around resulting in large pits left in the seafloor. While this photo was taken in La Jolla Shores around 65 feet below, bat rays can also be found eating the shallows. So next time you’re walking in the water during bat ray season, pay attention for large pits from feeding bat rays or you’ll embarrassingly fall in one… like I did. 😀

Beauty can be found in so many places if you just look for it! Mission Bay, San Diego, is known for being a mucky dive. It’s also a back up dive spot for certifying divers when ocean conditions aren’t cooperating. Some people will turn their nose up at diving in the bay… but if you take the time to look closely, you can find some pretty cool things! Like this large and beautiful anemone open and fishing for food on the muck floor! But like all muck diving, your buoyancy must be on point or you’ll end up in cloud of mud. 😀

I think Sarcastic Fringeheads are cartoons brought to life! That goofy look on their face cracks me up every time. They are territorial little things though and as goofy as they look chilling in their hole, they can come flying out to defend their home and expand their heads 3 times its size to warn off predators! It pretty much looks like something out of an alien movie. 😀 This was taken in La Jolla Shores around 70 feet below the surface. Pay attention to those crevices in the canyon walls! You never know when that goofy face will appear!

 

You can still get a 2019 Underwater Paparazzi Calendar! 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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