Charged by a Sea Lion Underwater

Underater bubbles accompany this roaring sea lion.

 Looking back at the beginnings of my underwater photography. I bought a little 4 megapixel digital camera with a housing from a friend of mine out in California. I was hooked from the very first time. I had some amazing encounters those first few years. As always with technology I wish I could go back to those encounters with the gear I have now and the knowledge of underwater photography.
  Take for example this picture of a charging sea lion off the coast of Santa Barbara Island. This is a famous sea lion rookery and one of my all time favorite snorkel and dive locations in the Channel Islands off the coast of Southern California. Younger sea lions playfully charge and roar underwater. Occasionally a big bull silently swims through your vision, eyeing you suspiciously. All the while the 'man in the grey tuxedo' may be just out of your vision.

Giant Green Anemone

Giant Green Anemone, (Anthopleura xanthogrammica).

 These relatives of jellyfish can be found along the west coast of the U.S. from Alaska all the way to Baja, Mexico. I photographed this one in the cool waters off Santa Barbara Island at a dive site called Shag Rock. These anemones catch the eye from far away but it is close up that they really put on a colorful show. You would be hard to find this neon green color elsewhere in nature. Just another reason to pay a few more visits to the ocean, even if you aren't in the tropics.