October 2020

Learn about the underwater photography featured in October of the Underwater Paparazzi 2020 calendar!

Next up in San Diego, California, some more of the local celebrities!

The turtles in San Diego are local legends. Many don’t realize we have some resident green turtles that have been affectionately named. This one in particular is called White Spot or Patch. Named for the white mark on the lower left part of her shell. Most days they are quite elusive, but with a little luck and a lot of patience, you might just come across one in La Jolla! Green turtles are named for their green blubber that come from their mostly herbivore diet. One of the theories I’ve been told on why our local turtles are here is because they are not quite old enough to breed. So they hang out and fatten themselves up on a delicious buffet of algae before they leave to go mate.

These cute babies are such a fun find. This species of shark is generally found resting on the ocean floor. Especially the juveniles on night dives. They can get up to 4 feet long, but this little baby was maybe 8 inches! They get their name for the horns on their fins. Horn sharks can also walk along the sea floor with their pectoral fins.

Pipefish are crafty little creatures! They blend into the blades of sea grass and kelp and sway with the surge for the ultimate camouflaged hiding place! The pipefish is closely related to the seahorse but lacks a curling tail and its head does not sit at a 90-degree angle compared to its body. Many pipefish also have a tail fin, which seahorses lack.

The red gorgonians on the Yukon Wreck are just stunning. Truly an underwater bouquet among the strawberry anemones that are scattered on the structure. The gorgonian is a filter-feeding colonial species that are oriented at angles to water currents to capture plankton as they drift by. Just one of many beautiful things to take in while on this advanced dive in San Diego’s Wreck Ally.

The 2020 Underwater Paparazzi Calendar is still available! Proceeds go to a great cause!  Buy your new calendar here !

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