Divers are familiar with bubbles, so the underwater arch at Anacapa Island should not be such a big surprise to...

We all know how important it is to perform a 15-foot deep "safety stop" at the end of a no-decompression...

Once upon a time, before I took up underwater photography, I was a hunter. Off San Clemente Island one day...

There's an old sailor's proverb that states, "The only cure for seasickness is to sit on the shady side of...

California reefs are full of fascinating critters adorned in living color. Our fish are among the most colorful and interesting...

A dear friend, a diver with seven decades of diving experience, once told me something that stuck with me. “I’ve...

California divers thrive on new. We love learning about the latest in gear, the most recent ocean science discoveries and...

When I hit the dive center for tank fills I inevitably find myself cruising the equipment area, marveling at the...

Archipelago. I love that word. While it can mean any group of islands close to each other I frequently hear...

The rich California coastline offers a bounty of marine life and a range of dive locations to suit every diver....

    I have had some of my most incredible diving experiences on beach dives. Many frequent beach divers will...

  A person with a wide circle of friends – one who’s always on the go, attending parties and events...

Learning to dive is a lot like learning to drive a car. A certification card, like a driver's license, is...

I am very blessed to have Dale as my dive buddy. He is great in the water and makes my...

This is going to sound like blasphemy but there is more to diving than just diving. Of course our primary...

Each spring Northern California divers look forward to the beginning of abalone season with the exuberance of children waiting for...

Most active California divers also travel to exotic destinations one a twice or year to dip their fins into warm...

So you've found yourself with a day or two off and a few bucks and you want to go diving....

Remember how your dive gear looked and felt when it was brand new? Your wetsuit was flexible and slipped on...

California offers divers both unique opportunities and challenges. Divers become comfortable and enjoy new diving situations by gaining confidence through...

Dive long enough, with multiple dives under your belt, and sooner or later the sea will turn on you. Surprises...

Divers are familiar with bubbles, so the underwater arch at Anacapa Island should not be such a big surprise to...

Monastery Beach in Carmel is home to two rather different dive sites. The North end of Monastery Beach has relatively...

Wiping the sleep from my eyes, I saw that our dive boat had reached the backside of Santa Rosa, the...

It was a strange sensation. It was like one minute we were diving the far reaches of the Northern Channel...

It was 1977 when avid diver, career scientist and intrepid explorer Dr. Robert Schmieder spotted Cordell Bank on a nautical...

What makes a great dive site? Clear water? Varied topography? Lots of fish? Colorful invertebrates? While most great dive sites...

When the crowds of summer have gone, divers can safely get into nooks, crannies and reefs of Isthmus Cove that...

Just the name Goldfish Bowl makes you think of a fun, cute dive site. And it is. But there is...

On a good day in Monterey many boat divers hope their captains head south to Carmel Bay. While Carmel does...

California reefs are full of fascinating critters adorned in living color. Our fish are among the most colorful and interesting...

In last month’s Marine Life column we featured gray whales. This time we’ll spotlight humpbacks (Megaptera novaengliae). Blue whales will...

Baby shark. Doo doo doo doo doodoo. Since its release in November 2015 the original “Baby Shark” video has had...

I know of no other wildlife excursions where seeing an entire animal is rare and viewing parts of it are...

My introduction to sea urchins — on my first scuba dive — was a learning experience. I learned how easily...

Of all the marine animals in the world, tunicates are vetebrates’ closest relatives and that includes the class Mammalia (us)....

Shrimp belong to the Phylum Arthropoda, which means jointed leg and includes 75 percent of all animals. They aren’t all...

As a birder, it has always been a pleasure to see and hear a Steller’s jay. This beautiful blue-tinged jay...

While riding an Amtrak train along the coast just south of Santa Barbara I had an epiphany. It was sparked...

Anyone who has dived California’s reefs in recent years, or has read this magazine or the mainstream news media is...

Stats  (Gymnothorax mordax)  Phylum: Chordata   Subphylum: Vertebrata  Superclass: Gnathostomata Superclass: Pisces Class: Actinopterygii Order: Anguilliformes Family: Muraenidae  Subfamily: Muraeninae...

While two-spot octopuses are not uncommon in Southern California waters, they aren’t always easy to spot. They are usually wedged...

It’s a fact stranger than fiction: there are underwater creatures commonly found in the Pacific Ocean off the California coast...

Political borders are essentially meaningless to marine life, as they can swim or drift across them without concern. Recently several...

Kelpfish Stats Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Superclass: Gnathostomata Superclass: Pisces Class: Actinopterygii Order: Perciformes Family: Clinidae: Giant kelpfish,...

Much prized by underwater photographers for its beautiful colors, California hydrocoral (Stylaster californicus) is one of the 350 species of...

Intriguing shapes and gem-like colors distinguish the seashells shown here — but the vast majority of these fascinating marine creatures...

A familiar outline materialized before me as I finned along the sea floor. The pattern in the sand left little doubt that...