We got our butts kicked by the swells last Saturday. Sunday's planned dives with photographer extraordinaire Kevin Lee were cancelled after checking conditions. We were bummed. On Monday, we decided to push our luck and bounce our way to the Redondo Barge. A Brown pelican and a Night Heron warned us to stay in the harbor, but we didn't listen.

Despite the rough surface conditions, visibility on the barge was a nice twenty feet.
Two sea lions played with us for awhile, then left us alone to look for tiny friends.

Dirona picta

Cadlina modesta

Tritonia festiva

Simnia Delonovolva aequalis

Red Gorgonian

Vermilion rockfish

Senoritas pecking at skeleton shrimp

Merry shooting a Tritonia festiva

Some crustaceans

After returning to the horrors of the above-water world we spotted six Blue Whales and a pod of Common dolphin. A few of the dolphins were displaying curious behavior. They would swim upside down against the genitals of another dolphin. Hmmm.