Sister Sorority - Birders

I think Birding is so much like Nudibranching.  I watched this show recently and I really enjoyed it!

https://www.amazon.com/Birders-Central-Effect-Jonathan-Franzen/dp/B00B42QONA#:

I especially like the guy Chris Cooper who talks about the Seven Joys of Birding:

Joy #1    Beauty of the birds

Joy #2    Being in a natural setting

Joy #3    Scientific discovery

Joy #4    Hunting without the bloodshed (Stalking the bird)

Joy #5    Puzzle solving (Can I figure out what this is?)

Joy #6    Collecting (Keep lists of what I’ve seen)

Joy #7    Unicorn effect (I am familiar with a bird, but have never seen it in real life.  It has a mythological status… and then one day there it is.  For Real.  Live.)

Another good quote:

When birding… “The world seems more magical rather than less.”

I cannot wait to get underwater again!

Note: Chris Cooper is the same person involved in the 5/25/20 incident:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Park_birdwatching_incident

COVID June at the Blue Heron Bridge

I spent the last two weeks of June in West Palm Beach mostly to do some Blackwater Diving, but I did see a handful of nudibranchs at Blue Heron Bridge and on the reef with Pura Vida Divers.  We wore "gaitors" on the boat to make sure everyone was safe from the disease. 

Here are the nudis I saw:

1 - Cratena cf. peregrina (juvenile) or Cratena minor (juvenile)

Blue Heron Bridge

2 - Doto uva

This was right next to the first nudi but I didn't even notice it until I reviewed the photos!

3 - Dondice occidentalis

Blue Heron Bridge

4 - Doto varaderoensis

On the wreck!  Found it again two days later on the same wreck, same spot!

5 - Cratena cf. peregrina or Cratena minor

Blue Heron Bridge

6 - Coryphellina marcusorum

 I found this one on the reef during a boat dive.  I was all alone and it was sortof a slow dive until I found this!

Unfortunately, I did not see the pelagic nudibranch on the Blackwater Dives.  Almost every night others did.  Grrr...  I guess that means I will have to come back and do it again.

What am I doing in Chicago?

After three months of COVID lockdown in Chicago, I was dying for some bottom time... or at least a summer!  The pool and sundeck in my building is closed as is the beach on Lake Michigan. 

I have been helping Mike Bartick of Crystal Blue Resort to run a couple of series of speakers.  One about Nudibranchers and one about Blackwater Diving.

On Sunday June 7th, I heard Linda Iannello talk about Blackwater Diving.  I didn't think much about it, assuming she was doing it in International locations that I couldn't get to right now.  But it turns out, she was doing it right here in West Palm Beach Florida and that they were having an outstanding May!  Whoa.  I wondered why I wasn't in a car RIGHT NOW driving down to Florida!!!

So I put the "wheels in motion" and that is exactly what I did!  On 6/13 I started driving and by 6/15 I was in the water.  Unfortunately my first Blackwater dive was canceled due to weather.  I have four more possible tries though so I am confident I can make it happen.  My expectations are really low.  If I can just bring home a few images, that would be cool.

I'm also excited about diving Blue Heron Bridge as THAT is where the Nudis are.  :)

I have several of those dives scheduled as well.

I'm staying in a cute Air B&B and diving with Pura Vida Dive Shop.

Dashed Dreams, Damned Corona Virus

Now that the tears have stopped, I can officially announce here that my big Spring 2020 trip was canceled.  I was going to spend ten days in Romblon at The 3P Resort and then attend the Citizen Science Nudibranch Workshop (aka Slugfest 4) with Terry Goslinger in Anilao at Crystal Blue Dive Resort.

My EVA Airlines flight was still going, but the news that Manila Metro was on lockdown broke about 12 hours before I was supposed to board the flight.

I was in disbelief so I messaged with Kati at 3P, Mike at Crystal Blue, Mike's girlfriend Gladys (who was in Manila at the time), Bree (who was joining me at both locations) and Pirjo (who tipped me off to the whole situation in the first place and was going to join in Anilao).

My bags were completely packed, I had checked in online already... so in my head "if the flight was going, so was I".  It took me so many iterations of research and this one article outlining EXACTLY when the lockdown was going to be, for me to make a choice that I really could not go.  Ugh.

https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/3/12/COVID-19-Metro-Manila-restrictions-Philippines.html

As sad as this was, the workshop did get officially canceled and not going WAS the right thing for me to do.  But it still really stung.  I didn't go on any trips in 2019 and I was REALLY looking forward to this one.

After a few days of mourning, my spirit was lifted by this new Ze Frank Nudibranch video:
https://youtu.be/F7V8DRfZBQI

Hilarious!!!

Giant Nudibranch Video

I came across this video recently.   Maybe I need to go see this nudi!

https://youtu.be/OyyukodgxZ8

What my blog wants to be when it grows up

I stumbled across this cool site on Nudis:
http://www.philsdiving.com/marine-life-guide/molluscs/nudibranchs

I feel like I need to do something like this with my photos!

Nudi Infographic (in Spanish)

This popped up on my Facebook feed.  Pretty cool, but I wish it was in English!