Julie, Terry, Gary and David on this excursion consisting of 1 x 89 minute and 1 x 70 minute dives in water depths from 10 m to 13 m. 8 m viz, 22 C water temp and some occasional slight surge from a small northerly swell.
We headed to the north side of Old Woman Island to be on the leeward side for when the predicted 15 - 20 knot wind change that was forecast to come in late morning. As it unfolded no such change arrived. With a number of vessels in the vicinity of the sites we wanted we took pot luck and just dropped the pick randomly. There was a paucity of slugs to what we normally encounter but a couple of not-so-common species were amongst those including, Thuridilla albopustulosa, Elysia pusilla and Crimora sp. 1.
Number of each species sighted: 1st dive/2nd dive
* Species with highest specimen count
Ardeadoris sp. 2 4/2
Crimora sp. 1 -/1
Dermatobranchus oculus 1/-
Dermatobranchus tuberculatus -/1
Doriprismatica atromarginata 2/1
Elysia pusilla -/1
Glossodoris vespa 2/1
Goniobranchus decorus 1/-
Goniobranchus sp. 6 1/2
Goniobranchus splendidus 7/4
Hexabranchus sanguineus 1/-
Hypselodoris jacksoni 2/2
Hypselodoris obscura 2/-
Hypselodoris sagamiensis 1/1
Phyllidia ocellata 2/1
Phyllidiella lizae 1/1
Phyllidiella pustulosa 1/1
Pleurobranchus peronii -/1
Tenellia sp. 24 1/-
Thuridilla albopustulosa 2/-
* Thuridilla splendens 9/3
Tornatina sp. 1 (shell) 1/-
Tritoniopsis elegans 2/1-
Thuridilla albopustulosa - one of two
sighted on the day
Tornatina sp. 1 - shell
Goniobranchus splendidus
Hypselodoris jacksoni
Tritoniopsis elegans - a juvenile
with a big meal in front of it
Thuridilla splendens
Ardeadoris sp. 2
Elysia pusilla on Halimeda - note the
contracted rhinophores - unusual behaviour
Filling the water tank for a hot shower post dive
Substrate
Phyllidiella lizae
Substrate
Phyllidia ocellata
Tenellia sp. 24
Surface conditions
Looking south to the island
Goniobranchus sp. 6
Pleurobranchus peronii
Crimora sp. 1 - note black gills
- feeding on encrusting bryozoans
Dermatobranchus oculus
Dermatobranchus tuberculatus
Hypselodoris sagamiensis
Substrate showing variety of soft and hard corals
with a stunning Centropyge bicolor (say no more)
Hexabranchus sanguineus
