White on gray

  

We were on a field trip to the Fort Ross/Salt Point area today (16 July 2025).  I didn't have a chance for many photos, but there was lots of whale activity visible offshore (mostly humpbacks), so here's a photo for the record. 

Breathe in, breathe out

  

An unexpected surprise this morning (11 July 2025), a beautiful octopus in the low intertidal zone.  I only had a minute or two before it continued on, but it was a magical minute!

I managed a short video clip (see below, or click on the title of the post above to go to the NHBH web page to see the video player).  The octopus is drawing water into its mantle cavity (where it will then pass over the gills) and expelling water through its siphon.

Many thanks to Eric for editing the video clip!

End-of-the-day treat

  

A Bushtit for you!  This one was searching for prey among the moss, bark, and leaves on a tree in the Oliver's parking lot in Cotati. 

Offshore fog

  

This isn't a recent photo, but it's been foggy at the coast lately, and I came across this older photo of offshore fog while doing some photo organization, so here you go!  Photographed from Bodega Head on 29 March 2013.

P.S.  Bodega Bay can be pretty foggy, leading to some nicknames for the foggiest months, e.g., June Gloom, No Sky July, Faugust.  It isn't foggy all of the time, but I'm intrigued by all of the different forms of fog.  What's your favorite form of fog?

Blue background

  

Last week I came across an Ochre Sea Star (Pisaster ochraceus) that was noticeably blue.  It's a little hard to tell from the photo above, but hopefully you can see the blueish background coloration among the clusters of white spines.

We've been monitoring Pisaster for over a decade and have observed thousands of individuals during that time, but I can't recall seeing a blue adult sea star until now.  The most common colors are orange, brown, and purple, but this blue individual seemed unusual, so I took a quick photo for the record.

That said, we often see juveniles with blueish coloration — see photos below from this past winter:

 

 

 

I've often wondered if the blue juveniles gradually turn purple, and perhaps some do, but the blue adult in the first photo shows that sometimes the adults can be blue, too! 

Featherduster fireworks

  

Eric photographed this beautiful featherduster worm (Eudistylia vancouveri) in Bodega Harbor earlier this week.

Happy Fourth of July! 

Flecktones?

  

A nice little chiton for you — a juvenile Lepidozona radians.

Photographed in the low intertidal zone on 29 June 2025.