Before the rain

  

The ocean was a bit churned up today (5 March 2021) ahead of cold front that will bring some rain tonight.

Sand and surf

  

 Sanderlings (Calidris alba) over the surf zone at Salmon Creek Beach, 1 March 2021

Tiers of tentacles

And two more to wrap up this series illustrating color variation in the tentacles of the tubeworm, Spirobranchus spinosus:

 

 

 

 

Photographed in the Carmel area on 26 February 2021.

 

Golden spirals

  

Another in the tubeworm series — this one with beautiful golden stripes and blue tips!  Spirobranchus spinosus photographed in the Carmel area on 26 February 2021.

P.S.  Refer to first post called "Magic blue spiral" on 27 February 2021.

Like mother, like otter?

During our recent visit to the Carmel area, we noticed a couple of sea otters (Enhydra lutris) offshore.  Here's a mom and a pup grooming (above), nursing (below), and a few extras of the pup, too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Magic blue spiral

  

We were long overdue on a survey that we needed to get done in Monterey County, so we made a quick day-trip down to the Carmel area this week.  Thankfully, we were able to finish the survey in a few hours, and at the very end of it Eric spotted this beautiful tube worm in a tidepool.  Although time was short, he managed to take this wonderful photo.  Meet Spirobranchus spinosus!  This is a more southern species, but we'll be on the lookout to see if any show up in Bodega Bay in the future.

Isn't the blue color amazing?  The tentacles of this species aren't always blue, and I hope to show some of the color variation in another post.

Out for a stroll

  

Small white sea cucumbers can be hard to identify.  This one might be a Stiff-footed Sea Cucumber (Eupentacta quinquesemita).  Photographed in northern Sonoma County earlier this month.