The sun is out and it looks like a nice day ahead, but it’s 2020 and we are In the middle of Covid. I have developed a little morning ritual. I get dressed, make a cup of coffee, sometimes a stop at the Starbucks drive through and then a drive along the beach to check out the dive conditions.
I started diving in the Monterey Bay in the late 60’s as a teenager, spearfishing and harvesting many of the delicious goodies the sea has to offer. These days the fish have nothing to fear from me, I’m only interested in their portrait.
The conditions in the bay have also changed substantially. I’ve watched the disappearance of our kelp forests, replaced by urchin barrens, a decline in fish populations and I can’t remember the last time I saw a Sunflower star. Water temperatures vary wildly, I’ve had days when the surface temperature was 62 degrees and more recently a chilly 50 degrees.
Things have changed since my youth, but I’m grateful I have the Pacific Ocean in my back yard. I’m grateful for those many hours of hydro therapy, photographing the creatures and the environment I love.
The kelp is still disappearing along our coastal waters, but there are patches still managing to survive. I love the way the currents and surge transform the new growth Into surreal abstraction. I’m remaining optimistic, hoping the forests will come back to their former glory, for the enjoyment of my fellow divers and more importantly for all the creatures that rely on a healthy ecosystem for their survival.
I’m blessed to be able to swim with these playful animals all year round. The Harbor Seals can be very friendly, often pulling on my fins or getting in close to see their reflection in my dome port. This one was playing a game of hide and seek in the eel grass. The Sea Lions are not quite as playful, but they can put on a spectacular show. Here they are blowing bubbles and dancing.
One of my favorite animals to photograph are the jelly fish that often come into the bay. For the past few years I’ve seen nothing of the large swarms of sea nettles that are common here in the Monterey Bay. I did find a few willing subject, a Moon Jelly at the edge of some sunlight and a juvenile Egg Yoke jelly looking like a glass sculpture.
Occasionally as I’m editing through my photographs something mysterious emerges. A photograph of what appears to be a path against a granite wall through a forrest of Giant Kelp or a surface disturbance from an unknown source reflected under the waters surface. All pleasant surprises.
Sometimes the grain from a roll of film can add texture and mystery to a photograph. I’ve spent many hours watching Eel grass moving in the surf.
This was one of the rare days when I put on a tank. At 65 feet looking up to the surface, a rare moment with hundreds of Blue Rock fish. This photograph was taken at Monastery Beach in Carmel Bay. The beach is next to Point Lobos State Park and was designated a no take zone years ago.
Occasionally there are surprises above the surface. Here an Egret is hunting for it’s dinner.
The Equipment
My equipment remains very simple. I photograph using film as well as digital capture. I have a Nikon N90S in an Ikelite Matrix housing with a 20mm Nikkor D set up for manual focus. My preferred film is Kodak T max 400 pushed to ASA 800. My digital camera is a Nikon D7200 In a Ikelite housing with a Nikkor 10-24 mm zoom and an 8 inch dome port. I appreciate the Ikelite housings for their durability and ease of maintenance. All the photographs are done using natural light.
