ok, finally got my last roll from boniare (in sept) developed, i know, lame. anyway, here are a couple of pics along with a couple of catalina pics from last week...

bonaire...i'm not sure how good this will turn out, it is a french grunt and a spotted eel just off the beach at bari reef...


for our "deco down time" before flight, we snorkeled and this 5-6 foot snook was on the bottom stealthing us, pretty funny...


ok, california's state fish...the famous garablaldi, the only colorful thing on the left coast...



michael and a gari...


a kelp fish...


a kelp bass...


and blacksmith taking a bite or breath!

argh...pics were too big and then i timed out...let's try again...


bonaire...i'm not sure how good this will turn out, it is a french grunt and a spotted eel just off the beach at bari reef...



for our "deco down time" before flight, we snorkeled and this 5-6 foot snook was on the bottom stealthing us, pretty funny...



ok, california's state fish...the famous garablaldi, the only colorful thing on the left coast...



michael and a gari...


a kelp fish...


a kelp bass...


and blacksmith taking a bite or breath...

nice pictures...sure does look different...kinda like a cross between a pond and a reef...

bonaire is still a whole lot closer than the left coast

Great pictures Cynde...we will have to get together after we return from Bonaire for another annual "Lefty's" Catalina dive...Rog & Karen

Cynde..pictures are beautiful..the kelp adds so much tropicalness to the pics...is it difficult to dive in? Is that you in the picture with the mask with the black skirt? I am looking to get a mask like that...I think I am either allergic to my mask or I am getting too much sunshine through the clear skirt....it seems I am developing a pigmentation just in the area the mask touches...I was wondering if the black skirt would stop this....Saw a mask called "The phantom" looked pretty cool....just need to try on a few....thanks for the pic's!

Cynde, love the pics...

Cynde, great pictures. I would love to dive the kelp, my only dive out there was at the Coast Guard Pier in Montery, no kelp. Next time, I almost finigled a business trip awhile back but it never panned out. One thing good, winter would be just as good as summer. Tropical water there.

bob, so that is what a lake is like!

roger and karen, definetly have to plan another get together this summer...

meryl, that is Michael, he loves that mask. I originally bought it for me, but the black skirt bothered my periferal vision. I have the big eyes and love it...meryl, the kelp isn't hard to dive in. the giant kelp (macrocystic pyrifera) grows up to 2 1/2 feet a day, and when it reaches the surface it forms a "canopy." that is the only time it is a pain if you surface with the canopy between you and your exit point. You either have to drop back down and swim through it, or "crawl" over the top depending on how much air you have. we get "hung up" in some on just about one of every 2 dives depending on how thick it is. the stipes get caught on your fin straps, or it gets hung up on your reg valve and tank connection. you know when you are hung up because you "keep kickin' but you don't go nowhere." hard part is finding where you are hung up!

cecil...tropical water???? our first dive was 59 degrees (gets to 55 in winter) and 69 max in the summer...oh wait, i forget what part of the noreast you are from...guess 55 would be like bath water?

Cynde, I'm very impressed ..

here is one more of a shark egg. i am going to work on a website this weekend to post the rest of the pics...