Ron in Depth

The seasons are a changing. Love drawing in a full breath right now. The air feels so full and refreshing.

Another find from the same dive off Salt Spring Island, and another nudibranch with sea pens ( second picture ) on the menu.

This striped nudibranch (Armina californica) seemed to be out in the middle of nowhere. But on a bottom dotted with small sea pens, perhaps it was exactly where it wanted to be. What looked like an empty stretch of crushed shells and sand to us may have been prime hunting ground for it.

Two nudibranchs on one seemingly barren stretch of bottom. I’m glad we slowed down.

Crossing a barren stretch of bottom on our dive off Salt Spring Island, we spotted this ornate, milky white nudibranch making its way across the rubble.

It was missing most of the telltale diamond pattern that gives the diamondback nudibranch (Tritonia festiva) its name, but those delicate, branching gills gave it away. Small sea pens were scattered nearby, and I couldn’t help wondering if it was out looking for dinner.

A good reminder from a patch of sand and crushed shells that looked like it held nothing at all: slow down and look a little closer. Life is there... and almost always is.

Ruckle Park, Dive buddies. Keith, Laura, Kitty, Roxanne, Joel with shore support of Heather

“Hey buddy, got a smoke?”

That’s what comes to mind whenever I see a pygmy rock crab (Glebocarcinus oregonensis) hanging out of a giant acorn barnacle (Balanus nubilus).

Giant acorn barnacles are amazing on their own, but when they die, their shells become something else entirely - tiny aquatic condos hosting all sorts of guests. They’re always worth pausing over for a moment, just to see who’s home.

In this case, the pygmy rock crab is filling its new home rather well. I’ve seen some wedged in so tightly, you have to wonder how long they’ve been living in there…and whether they can actually get back out again.

Ogden Point, Dive buddies Melissa, Laura and Keith

Home is where you make it.

A hundred feet down in the dark green waters of Saanich Inlet, this little grunt sculpin has settled among the rusticles of an old engine block.

Probably not the home its parents had in mind... but after finding this sweet face tucked into the same opening on several dives, I’d say it has officially claimed the place as its own.

Another crab that hides in plain sight.

The Butterfly Crab (Cryptolithodes typicus), this crab becomes almost indistinguishable from the surrounding reef.

Typically, I’ve seen them with large amounts of marine growth covering their shells, with sponge often being the dominant camouflage. At times, they become so overloaded with growth that it is almost comical.

This one may have molted relatively recently, as there is still very little growth on its shell. Even without its usual living disguise, it is doing a remarkable job of blending into its surroundings.

Despite its unusual appearance, the Umbrella Crab is actually a member of the king crab family. It doesn’t rely on speed or aggression to remain safe... it simply disappears in plain sight.

Even after you find one, your eyes may still have trouble separating the crab from the reef around it.

Ogden Point today, Dive buddies Keith, Laura and Melissa

Sometimes the story is not what is in the picture... but what is missing.

Much of the seafloor can look barren... open rock, sand and sediment with very little obvious life.

Move into shallower water though... and the recipe begins to change.

Add the Sun for light... the Earth and sea for nutrients... and the Moon to keep the water moving... and life begins to take hold.

Here there is barely a stitch of rock left exposed.

Rock Scallops, tunicates, sponges, cup corals and hydroids have layered themselves over nearly every available surface... with even a lonely shrimp making an appearance.

What looks chaotic at first is really a solid mat of life... every inch of real estate occupied.

Give the ocean the right conditions... and life does not just take hold. It takes over.

Heart Crab... Phyllolithodes papillosus
From barely noticeable to impossible to miss.
When we first start seeing these little Heart Crabs, they can be no bigger than a small fingernail.
The blurry second image is a frame grab from video I shot earlier this spring. I didn’t even notice the juvenile Heart Crabs were there while I was filming.
That’s part of the fun... and sometimes frustrating... parts of post production. Once you start reviewing footage, things suddenly make themselves known that you completely missed underwater.
And every so often the reaction is simply...
“Damn... wish I’d seen that.”
At that size, these little Heart Crabs are easy to overlook. They’ve likely already molted several times since settling onto the bottom and have begun the long journey toward becoming the wonderfully ornate, hand sized adult in the first photo.
Despite the name, they aren’t true crabs at all. They belong to Anomura... making them more closely related to hermit crabs... and are part of the Lithodidae family, the king crab group.
Their common name comes from the distinctive heart shaped pattern of raised bumps on the shell.
And look at those bright red eyes.
Same animal... very different presence.

A small battle for space at Ten Mile.

What caught my eye was this chiton, almost completely surrounded by a fast-growing orange sponge.

At first glance it looks trapped, but the exposed rock immediately around it may tell a different story.

Chitons survive by scraping microscopic growth from the rock, so that little patch may actually be its feeding ground. The sponge appears to be advancing around it, while the chiton may be continually grazing the area clean.

Both my dive buddy and I had recently commented that this section of the wall had lost some of its late-spring colour. This orange sponge, though, now really stands out and seems to have expanded quickly.

So perhaps this is encroachment in progress ... one organism claiming space while another quietly holds its ground.

Sometimes the smallest scenes tell the best stories.