Recent Diving Adventures

We have done 2 fun dives recently and have a few good pictures to share. First, we went on a dive specifically to dive with Giant Black Sea Bass.
***There are published reports of giant sea bass reaching a size of 2.5 m (8.2 feet) and a weight of up to 255 kg (562 lbs). In the eastern Pacific its range is from Humboldt Bay, California to the Gulf of California, Mexico, most common from Point Conception southward. In the western Pacific it is found in the sea around Japan. It usually stays in relatively shallow water, near kelp forests, drop offs or rocky bottoms. Giant sea bass were once a relatively common inhabitant of Southern California waters, yet in the 1980s it was facing the threat of local extinction off the California coast. Beginning in the late 1800s, the species supported both a commercial fishery taking hundreds of thousands of pounds annually, and a sport fishery that also landed hundreds of fish each year. Spear fishermen also exploited the giant sea bass, first as free divers, and then after the mid 1950s using scuba gear. Often the divers would target the species when they moved into shallow water during the summer months to spawn. By the late 1970s, biologists with the California State Department of Fish and Game, recognized that the local population of giant sea bass was in serious trouble. Actions were taken, resulting in protection from commercial and sport fishing that went into effect in 1982. Yet for almost two decades encounters with giant sea bass were scarce. The giant sea bass reproduces slowly with a population doubling time of more than 14 years and is still listed as critically endangered.***

Thanks to the efforts of those who recognized the species near extinction, they are now more common and seeing them during the summer months is actually possible for us divers. A group of them had been sighted at a certain dive spot for several weeks, so our boat headed to this location first (Goat's Harbor). We descended down to about 40 feet and within 2 minutes saw one. They are huge! We kinda just hung around in one spot and saw at least 6. One time a group of 4 swam by in a row, which was so cool. It is hard to get a perspective of how large they are in the pictures, but they are big! Bigger than Shadow, that's for sure! I tried to get next to one for a size comparison but they are pretty shy.