Cypress Mountain Time-Lapse

When I to do this again next year, I'll let the camera start earlier and run later as you can clearly see I missed the sunrise and sunset, but I still count it as a successful test that returned some fun results.

This is just the raw footage out of the camera as well, without any fancy stabilization, colour correction or other fancy tricks.

'Bout Freakin Time Mr. Shoveler!

 Lady common mergansers seem shyer. We typically see them pretty far out in Lost Lagoon or out in English bay. Finally using some bread and corn bribes we had a lovely look at several males and females in the Lagoon. I like their thin bills with the tooth-like serrations for aquatic prey. Geordie and I think that the females look kind of like punk rockers with their neat mohawk at the back.

 This is the time of year where everythings mind turns to sex. The male goldeneyes like the fellow below were chasing the ladies and displaying. I find this ones bright staring eye very striking. Apparently the girls think it sexy when the boys tilt there head right back.

 Finally after years of rumour, hearsay, and fake sightings a la Sasquatch and the Loch Ness Monster I finally get to see the fabled Northern Shoveler. Aren't their noses cute!!! Apparently they are not just urban legend!  This is a male and there is a female right behind him. It took tons of patience to get the photos of them as they were all sleeping with their lovely beaks all tucked in. They were impervious to corn and bread bribery and oblivious to the ruckus the other birds kicked up while we fed them. Preserverence paid off however and we got to check them out. Squee!

Got Crabs?

 More from our St. Patrick's Day scuba shore clean up as it is the only one we have had with an underwater camera. Crab time. The fellow below is the most edible Dunganess Crab. This guy was large. Certainly eating size. I spotted him having a showdown down with a large prawn or something of that nature. I had to lift off some kelp to get this photo and to point him out to Geordie. I poked him. Then he got shirty about it so we left him be as he was having fun wrapping himself about my hand and trying to take my thumb off.  Yay gloves. There were some people crabbing off the near by dock but not where this prime yummy fellow was hanging out.

 I believe the crab below is a spider crab. Not 100% on the ID though. Arthropod fans feel free to correct. There were lots about and this guy was strangely amenable to having a camera shoved into his face during his mid afternoon stroll. He seemed big to me. His pincers are disturbingly clear of that stuff growing on him.

 A lovely picture of a red rock crab. This pretty one was amongst some rocks and very happy to be admired. The purple colour on his legs is stunning. We gently admired him and let him go back to his siesta. Don't know if these guys are delicious or not. His colours make me think maybe not. It would be hard to eat something so charmingly lavender.

Nudibranch and Friends

 Dive 2 of the Belcarra Park Off Shore Clean-up was an explore dive.  The group must have done a good job as we dove part of the site where a lot of trash came out of and it looked good to us!  We took our crash cam with us. Its good to 35 feet but I think its only good in slight mist. This dive was its death knell despite staying no deeper than 30 feet. Still we got some neat photos and footage of all things aquatic and crabby and squishy. Speaking of squishy I have no idea what the creature below is. A tiny jelly fish maybe. Attached to the delicate bell are two diaphnous streamers. The whole thing was no longer then my finger.

 This lovely creature is a nudibranch. There are over 3000 types in the ocean so I have no idea what kind it is. It is a gorgeous photo though. I love the light looking like its coming from within and tracing its 'spike'(?) tips. Nudibranchs are one of my favorite sea creatures and we have seen a few types so far. This is the only one we have photographed yet. Hopefully we will see lots more and I can get IDing them. In the mean time I am still stunned that such a pretty little creature exists.

 Speaking of glowy things, white plumose anenomes often look illuminated if the sun hits them right. This solitary one was all by him self on a rockpile. Geordie has seen one of the wrecks at Porteau Cove covered with the things. I have not seen that yet. I like anenomes too. Some are really big. This one was maybe about 2/3 of a foot high.

Saint Patrick's Day: Aquatic Hippie Edition

 On St. Patricks Day Geordie and I participated in an off shore clean up at Belcarra Park near Port Moody. Most of the dive parks and sites are pretty clean as divers tend to be good about grabbing stuff that does not belong as they go. We had a really good day for it. Some media even showed up. Geordie and I did not get a huge haul as the bay to the left of the docks there was pretty clean. The majority of trash came from the right side. Wierdest thing that came out was a bong.

 We geared up in dry suits and I had so many layers it was kind of difficult to suit up. Ended up with huge boots and fins and carried 41 pounds of weight for the first dive and 44 for the second! That's what I get for being prone to being cold and having to wear tons of layers. It's fine once you are in the water but hauling it down was less then fun.

 This is some of the junk that was brought up: bottles, snorkle and scuba gear, fishing and crabbing equipment, a large amount of sharp things, nets, balls and odds and ends. One group brought up 24 pounds of stuff and the outing as a whole netted over 95 pounds of garbage! So remember not to throw stuff in the water people!

Galapagos Highlight Reel

 Our trip to Ecuador highlight reels will comprise of two videos. The second will feature the Amazon Rain forest. The first is completed and posted here (and on Vimeo) and is all about the Galapagos Islands. It shows some of the unique and rare flora and fauna that is native to the archipelago. Most of the species and landscapes shown have already been featured in other posts. So if there is something that catches your eye check there for more information.

Music: The Porcupine Tree "The Colour of Air"

A Fistfull of Fish

Geordie and I snorkled nearly every day while in the Galapagos. The cold and nutrient rich Humboldt current arriving at the equator encourages plankton development which supports a large variety of tropical and subtropical fish. The visibility was incredibly good most of the time. Since having eye surgery both of us have a better appreciation for what is under the ocean's surface. Especially now that we can see it.
Mexican Hogfish were very common. They have a funny bump on their forhead. We saw these every time we were out. They range to an orangy colour as well. They get pretty big. Two feet long or so.

 Triggerfish came in singles, small groups and very large schools like the one below. It was fun trailing the groups to see where they went. They are quite friendly and allow a pretty close approach. They are somewhat less than a foot long and their yellow tails are very striking.

 Leather Bass were hard to spot most of the time as they liked to be under rocks and in shadowy areas. This one was obliging enough to be against some pinkish rocks which made him stand out. There dappled colouring is very attractive. Each fish has a different pattern.

Land Iguanas

 Large slow moving lizards pretty much sums up the land iguana. Some were almost 5 feet long. Some were quite brilliantly yellow with their mating colours such as this baleful fellow below. Being cold-blooded they casually bask on rocks often letting other animals peck about them and even on top of them. At night they conserve body heat in burrows. The spiky crest that starts at the neck runs to the tail tip.

 The land iguana is endemic to many islands of the Galapagos. The land iguanas have been known to interbreed with marine iguanas creating probably sterile hybrids, particularily on South Plaza island where the species overlap territory. After mating the females travel to sandy areas to make a burrow to lay eggs. Eggs hatch 90-125 days later.

 The land iguanas mostly snacks on plants and cacti like this one having a lunch of carpetweed. They have been known to be opportunistic carnivores, eating insects or carrion. They are a common site on the airport runway at Baltra and often seen crossing roads.