A photo of Pyrosoma atlanticum underwater
© Peter Wirtz (peterwirtz2004yahoo.com), used with permission

Another view of Pyrosoma atlanticum. © Steve Murvine, used with permission

Diver with her hands full of atlanticum
© Gayle Van Leer, used with permission

I set down my glass and expeditiously walked outside to find several people leaning over the rail, looking down into the ocean at a few hundred tubular pinkish somethings that were floating in the water. Each of the pink things was between eight and sixteen-or-so inches long, closed at one end and tapered, with a strange bumpy texture. Some of them curiously expanded and contracted as they moved around.

I couldn’t help saying “looks like someone with a container ship of sex toys lost their cargo!”

Was this some bizarre New Year’s gift for those at sea?

I’d had champagne before, and never remembered it having this kind of an effect, so I was sure it had to be something else. Just then, a nearby crewman had netted one of the pink things and brought it on board for further inspection (and perhaps a gag or two). The pink things turned out to be a large group of Pyrosoma atlanticum – they’re free-floating cylindrical-shaped tunicates; each one is made up of hundreds to thousands of tiny individual creatures, known as zooids. Each zooid is a few millimeters in size and embedded in a common gelatinous tunic that joins all of the individuals. That explains the bumps that were on the outside…they were zooids, and certainly not designed for “pleasure”.

My ship-mates took a few photographs for identification (and comic) purposes, then returned the phallic little tunicate to the sea.

A true Wild Ocean story indeed.

Happy New Year!
Derek

It has been over a year since my last trip to the island, and I’m looking forward to photographing some of the amazingly colorful macro life that can be found in the Channel Islands. I was glad to see some familiar faces and know that I’ll get to spend the next few days with old friends, not to
mention some of the coolest crew members ever to walk the deck of a dive boat – Mark, Cary, Spencer, and Aaron it’s great to be back, and Greg – sorry to have missed you.

Before I sign off, a special thanks to Dr. Meier who is back on the mainland, but was good enough to send his diopters on the trip with me. Many thanks!

More soon,
Derek

Derek with the Tube Dwelling Anemone on display at the San Diego Natural History Museum. Photo: Matthew Meier

The photograph was one of 70 entries accepted to the show from more than 1,100 entries that were submitted for consideration, and will be on display at the museum from November 13, 2010 through January 30, 2011.

Best of Nature is an international juried show, for nature-based abstract and impressionistic images from the world around us.

Part of my mission as an underwater photographer is to show people what’s in the ocean. World Oceans Day is the perfect opportunity to share photographs of the amazing things I’ve seen underwater with my friends and neighbors.

Several award-winning photos are on display, including New Kelp from the 2009 Best of Nature Photography Show.

The Pannikin is located at
510 North Coast Highway 101 in Encinitas. The exhibition is free and to the public. Ends July 4, 2010.

I tested the site using the iPad and it officially looks great!

Tap the photo of the anemonefish below to browse the full-sized high-resolution photos on wildoceanphoto.com on your iPad.

Anemonefish photo

Wonders of the Sea by Marc Shargel

This stunning 112-page coffee table book takes readers on an underwater voyage to the waters off the Southern California coast from Santa Barbara to San Diego and offshore to all eight of the Channel Islands. The book features over 100 beautiful natural history photographs of marine life, and is narrated by residents who describe their intimate relationship with the ocean.

You can read more .. about the book and purchase copies at:
http://www.LivingSeaimages.com/books/orderSoCal1.php.

My display will be located at the corner of Leucadia Boulevard and Highway 101 on the northwest corner of the street.

Here’s a Google Map of the location.

Photograph of a tube-dwelling anemone

Toward the end of our dive, swimming out of the canyon in to shallower water, I took a few minutes to photograph one of the few Bay Pipefish (Syngnathus leptorhynchus) that we saw. The shot below was taken of the pipefish swimming over my dive buddy’s black glove.

Photograph of a Bay Pipefish (Syngnathus leptorhynchus)

I’ve now spent over 2,000 minutes underwater this July in support of the San Diego Oceans Foundation Dive-a-Thon. Please consider supporting this great organization by donating on my
Dive-a-Thon Donations page.

Thanks again to North County Scuba Center for providing air for our tanks, and to APS Mantaray for the use of their fins!

The visibility underwater was limited, so macro photography was the best option. Appropriate for this beautiful California day, I spent some quality time photographing our State Marine Fish – the Garibaldi (Hypsypops rubicundus). In one sand-bottom area, there were Garibaldi of all ages – juveniles covered with their characteristic electric blue spots, sub-adults with fewer spots and rich orange hues, and full-grown adults of bold orange with no spots.

Juvenile Garibaldi (Hypsypops rubicundus), photographed at La Jolla Cove in California

Sub-adult Garibaldi, photographed off La Jolla Cove in California

Californians are very lucky to have such beautiful marine life off our shores, and I find it startling how many school children that live here do not know what a Garibaldi looks like! I am hoping to make a difference by raising funds for ocean awareness programs for school children, hosted by the San Diego Oceans Foundation. Please consider donating to this important cause by visiting:

http://www.sdoceans.org/portal/np_landing_page.php?id=a0d40000000xOvj.

Despite warnings of Humboldt Squid (Dosidicus gigas) in the area, we’ve checked out several great new locations, so keep checking back on this site for updated pictures and reports!

In the meantime, please help us support the San Diego Oceans Foundation, and our Dive-a-Thon campaign to raise funds for ocean awareness programs for children – visit
http://www.sdoceans.org/portal/np_landing_page.php?id=a0d40000000xOvj

We’d also like to take a minute to thank the guys at North County Scuba Center – they’re providing all of the air for our dives! Also, we had the opportunity to do some diving in La Jolla with the kind folks at APS Mantaray, who provided us with fins that we’ll be using throughout the rest of the Dive-a-Thon. Many thanks!