The Intertidal Zones ofThe California Coast

By Robert lugo

      The Channel Islands offer some excellent opportunities to break out the cameras and burn a little film.

      All of the photos shown at this web site were taken at the Channel Islands by Mike Meagher, an old time diver and good friend of the crew's.  If he could take these photos, so can you!

      Catalina, and San Clemente Islands often experience excellent visibility (by Soouthern California standards) with vis in the 60'(20m) up to 100'(34m) range.  These islands are ideal for wide angle, existing light or existing light with fill photography.

      The kelp beds of Giant Bladder Kelp, Macrosystis, offers excellent vistas, and towers 60 to 100 feet above the bottom.  Also, the bright orange Garibaldi , our state marine fish, is an excellent and cooperative subject.  Just crack open a sea urchin with a dive knife and you'll have your subject eating out of your hand.  Also, you may find an occasional Moray eel, another friendly yet non-lethal subject.  And the region is covered with beautiful invertibrate life, including colorful Nudibranchs.  

      All of the islands, offshore reefs and wrecks offer excellent close-up photography opportunities. Many sites are thick with invertebrate life including rare Purple and Pink Hydrocorals, colorful sea stars, dazzeling anenomes, some small octopus species, and much more.  

      You can't go wrong by bringing your camera or video tape recorder on your next Great Escape dive trip.

Kathy Kalohi's Underwater Pictures of California Offshore Oil Rigs Paulette's Underwater Pictures of Southern California Images of Catalina Marine Life Fabio's Underwater Photo Gallery

MaleMale and female sheephead have different color patterns and body

shapes. Males are larger, with black tail and head sections, wide, reddish orange midriffs, red eyes and fleshy forehead bumps. Female sheephead are dull pink with white undersides. Both sexes sport white chins and large, protruding canine teeth that can pry hard-shelled animals from rocks. After powerful jaws and sharp teeth crush the prey, modified throat bones (a throat plate) grind the shells into small pieces. Sheephead hunt actively during the day, but at night, as many wrasses do, they move to crevices and caves and wrap themselves in a mucus cocoon. Predators on the hunt can’t detect the fishes’ scent through the mucus covers. Sheephead appear to be asleep, but since fishes don’t have eyelids, we can only assume they’re sleeping.

Sheephead

Manta Ray Part 1

The manta ray (Manta birostris), is the largest of the rays. The largest known specimen was more than 7.6 metres (25 ft) across, with a weight of about 2,300 kilograms (5,100 lb). It ranges throughout tropical waters of the world, typically around coral reefs. They have the largest brain-to-body ratio of the sharks and rays.[2]

Mantas have a variety of common names, including Atlantic manta, Pacific manta, devilfish, and just manta. Recent studies have suggested that what is called manta ray are at least two different species.

Manta Ray Part 2

Intertidal zone A manta ray is a marine creature living off the Salinity: Depressions on the shores

sometimes form tide pools, areas that remain wet, although they are not long-lasting features. The salinity of tide pools varies from the salinity of the sea to much less salty, when rainwater or runoff dilutes it. Animals must adapt their systems to these variations. Some fish, like scalping and blennies, live in tide pools.

Soft feathered algae Coralline algae

Purple Sea UrchinA spiny, globular animal that lives on the ocean floor off the western coast of North America.

Creatures of the Intertidal Zone

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Sea food is soooo good???