Palos Verde snorkeling/kayaking picture thread. Now with more fishies!!!

[puerco-bellies]

Me and Ali launched our Kayak just south of Point Vicenti after negotiating a very steep narrow path to a small cove. We paddle a short distance north of the point just passed our wedding site, today being our three month anniversary. Ali slipped over the side near some rocks while I maintained our position and acted as life guard. after about 20 minutes it was my turn. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Neat fishie, I think it is a garabaldi



Definately a garibaldi



The bottom is covered with stars and urchins



I think this is a grunion



I have never seen this kind of fish before (middle far left of image)



Ali on watch just outside of the swell



Now to pay the piper. The first leg of a 300 foot climb to the road



The last half still to go and totally exhausted



Thanks for looking

Edited to add yet more pictures

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. My dear puerco-bellies!

Oooh, those are nice, sweetie!

That's a terrific way to stay cool, too...

The multitudes of life there are amazing!

I definitely enjoyed these...

Thanks for posting them!

Hi to Ali!

:hi:

:hug:

[puerco-bellies]

2. Your welcome Miss CP

I added a few more pictures. I will relay your greeting to Ali.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. Ah, we can never have enough pictures!

Those are great...

Thanks for the additions!

:hi:

[Submariner]

4. That looks like a Slippery Dick

Halichoeres bivittatus is in the wrasse family.

[petronius]

6. I'm pretty sure it's a senorita - still in the wrasse family, though

I don't think we have slippery dicks out here on the west coast...

[puerco-bellies]

9. Ding Ding Ding We have a winner

petronius I think you nailed the fishie in question.

This looks more like the little feller. Mine was darker to brick red when viewed from the dorsal side.




Picture credited to this site:

http://billwil.smugmug.com/gallery/2996392_HyzdA/5/162434901_4myJg#162434901_4myJg

[puerco-bellies]

7. I pretty sure it is a wrassel.

Those are new fish to me.

[lost-in-nj]

5. Nice pictures!!!

thanks for taking the time to post your pictures You and Ali do such exciting things...



:hi:


lost

[puerco-bellies]

10. Thanks lost-in-nj

Thank/curse the powers that be for digital cameras. Both me and Ali are ADD so we have to do stuff or suffer for the lack of it. Of course this doesn't mean doing the billion or so things that NEED to be done. Just the fun stuff.

:hi:

[XemaSab]

8. Cool!

:D

[puerco-bellies]

11. Very cool indeed

Palos Verde is rife with thermal vents. Where we were snorkeling the water temp would swing 10-15 degrees from spot to spot. If anyone lives in the Los Angeles area you should check this place out.

[blueknight]

12. puerco

how deep is the water there? did you see any large fish or mammals? beautiful pics btw!

[puerco-bellies]

13. The area we snorkeled at was about 8-10 deep.

It was a reef area behind a large room sized rock. We see harbor seals and occasional sea lions near the kelp beds. Many dolphins species are always around, and Vicente Point is a prime whale watching area, though we only saw harbor seals and a very large dolphin that day. The largest fish we saw yesterday was what I think was a kelp bass. It was maybe 18" long. This is a picture taken yesterday of a smaller one (about 12")

[blueknight]

14. man!

i would love to do that! my next trip to the beach,im going to look into it

[puerco-bellies]

15. It's pretty easy, low cost way to go.

Be sure to buddy up before you go out. We got our snorkel gear from a chain store in a "combo" pac. I think the total cost was about $30 each. The fins are pretty short but effective. Look for a rocky area, or coral reef to see lot's of sea life.
Best of luck,
p-b

[applegrove]

16. Must have been a beautiful day.

[puerco-bellies]

19. Last Saturday was pretty hot.

We got relatively late start but the wind did not pick up like it normally does after midday.
The swell was pretty tame with occasional large sets rolling through so we kept the kayak away from the shallow reef we were exploring. As the summer progresses the swell will diminish so we can anchor without having to worry about the kayak getting washed away.

[devilgrrl]

17. Cool!!!!! :-D

Thank you for sharing!!!!

[puerco-bellies]

20. Hi devilgrrl.

Your welcome. You live in the area, do you ever head out to PV?

[devilgrrl]

24. I've only been there once for my painting class and liked it.

Abalone Cove

[kwassa]

26. I like your landscapes, er, seascapes

Nice painting.

[puerco-bellies]

27. Very nice

That is a great painting of Abalone Cove. Did you know there is two small sea caves on the end of that point?

[devilgrrl]

30. No, I didn't! You really couldn't tell at that time of day.

This past weekend I did a painting at Crystal Cove State Park down in Laguna Beach. It was the same situation, there were caves at the end of one point, you couldn't tell until the sun hit it.

I'll post that painting in the coming week.

[redqueen]

18. Oooh pretty...

thanks for posting those. :)

[puerco-bellies]

21. Thanks

The first fish pictured was amazing to see in person. I used to think fish that colorful were only from the tropics. I later found out that all immature garibaldi have those bright spots.

Here is a different look at the same little guy.

[LynneSin]

22. Everyone should try snorkeling once in their lifetime. I did mine in Costa Rica

it was amazing to have a school of fish swim right around you!

[puerco-bellies]

23. I am new to the sport.

Ali got her diving certification before I met her. There is nothing like seeing wildlife in person.

[kwassa]

25. I drove around Palos Verdes the last time I was out there

Never snorkeled there, though I have snorkeled in Hawaii and Florida. I lived in LA for 17 years, I like that whole area down there. I fished off there a couple of times, and saw some great flying fish, too, off Santa Monica.

I like San Pedro, I think it is a cool little town. Palos Verdes used to be very popular with windsurfers.

Very nice pictures.

[puerco-bellies]

28. Have you ever walked around the Point Fermin area?

There are some really cool, old (for L.A.) sea cottages still left. San Pedro is one of my favorite areas in Los Angeles.

[kwassa]

29. I think so, it has been a long time.

It feels like a town that time forgot. I always thought of it as an area I would potentially like to live in, if I was still in LA.

[tigereye]

31. lovely pics

my brother just bought a light-weight kayak and we took turns checking it out on the lake near where we are...



but to snorkel on the ocean/bay from it - that's very cool.

[puerco-bellies]

32. As can see we have a "sit on top" yak.

They are not as stable in fairly rough water, and more exposed to windage. Two big advantages are self rescue; the ability to exit and re-enter the boat in most conditions, and they are very difficult to sink.