Friday, November 30, 2018

September sailing

Although this is going to be a sailing or rather snorkelling post again, I have to start with another beauty from my garden - it is a Ruddy darter or Krvavordeči kamenjak (Sympetrum sanguineum). Usually dragonflies visit my garden in early summer, so I was quite surprised to spot this guy at the end of August. It just teaches me to always keep my eyes peeled and always have my camera in the pocket.

In the beginning of September I joined the Captain on Heron again with two of our friends. It was a short holiday, but it was four days of glorious late summer weather, good company and an absolute nirvana. There wasn't much wind forecast, so we made a very relaxed sailing plan, starting from Punat on island Krk, to Hawai near Supetarska Draga on Rab, then on to city of Rab, then around the SE edge of Rab to Uvala Mag, and before returning to Punat a stop on Grgur.

Water was still warm and it was perfect for swimming and snorkelling. Most of the photos here were made in Uvala Planka and Uvala Mag on Rab.
I think this might be albino version of Red seasquirt or Rdečega kozolnjaka ali morske breskve (Halocynthia papillosa). I'm pretty sure it's a squirt (tunikata), would wish it didn't sit under the rock so I could make some more photos from different angles.
This almost translucent delicate looking fish is probably Gray wrase or Gnezdivka (Symphodus cinereus).
This is "just" a humble sponge, but still pretty - it is a Stinker sponge or Snopasta hrapavka (Ircinia fasciculata). With my mask on my nose luckily I didn't notice any bad odours.
Luckily this guy was moving or it would remain unnoticed - it it a well camouflaged Small spider crab or Mali morski pajek (Maia crispata).
This was one of my best finds - a Streaked gurnard or Progasti krulec (Chelidonichthys lastoviza). It must be one of the prettiest fish I've seen here, it is almost as pretty and colourful as it's Caribbean cousins. It spreads its wings when it feels threatened, like when a snorkeler with camera is coming too close.
And this is a red Red seasquirt or rdeči Rdeči kozolnjak ali morska breskev (Halocynthia papillosa).
I'm always so happy when I discover a Sea lemon or Morsko pomarančo (Tethya citrina), although it is only a sponge.
I'm so proud of these next couple of photos (they were taken as they are presented here, I didn't change a bit) - I've seen Common prawns or Žagaste kozice (Palaemon serratus) plenty of times before, but these are by far the best photos I've managed to take. On first two photos there is the same prawn and you can see how translucent it is, as the colour of the background actually shines though its body.

If you look closely, you can see the serrated edges on the sides of its nose near the eyes and hair on its tentacles.
This is a Red-black triplefin or Rdeči sprehajalček (Tripterygion tripteronotus), this time not in red and black, but beautiful bronze and golden colours with bright blue specks. What a display!
Yellow cluster anemone or Rumeni zoantar (Parazoanthus axinellae) has a rather non romantic name in both English and Slovene, but it really looks like a small bouquet of bright yellow flowers.
On our last evening we were anchored on W side of Grgur and decided to go out for a dinner. We knew there were Fallow deer or Damjaki (Dama dama)  on Grgur, but didn't expect them to come almost to the terrace of the restaurant and to be so tame.
This is me trying to make some good photos of them, with Heron and a sunset in the background. It was a perfect last evening of the couple of wonderful days.
Back home the summer weather continued. I discovered this beast in my rose bush - a Praying mantis  or Bogomolko (probably Mantis religiosa). I do see them occasionally here, but not every year. This one was just having a lunch when I photographed her, her pray was a bee.

She was living in the same rose bush until temperatures dropped towards 0 at the end of the October. Don't know if she can survive our winter, will need to check next spring.

Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Summer holiday - part 3

After snorkelling near Murter we only sailed as far as the S coast of Kaprije. There are just a few of houses there, small jetty and lots of green blue water. It looked so pretty and inviting in early afternoon sun, so we decided to stay for the rest of the day and the night. First we all went for a long swim or snorkelling.

This is a Purple sea urchin or Belobodičasti morski ježek (Sphaerechinus granularis)

Every now and then I have to make another photo of Golden anemone or Zlata vetrnica (Condylactius aurantiaca),....

....as well as of Painted comber or Pirka (Serranus scriba), especially when they have such a shiny blue belly.

Two-banded sea breams or Fratrci (Diplodus vulgaris) found shelter in the remains of the chair.

Red spotted horseshoe or Apnenčasti cevkar (Protula tubularia) looks so delicate.

It wasn't easy to spot this Black scorpionfish or Škarpoč (Scorpaena porcus), if it wasn't for the stripes on his tail, I would have surely missed him, he could be even easily missed on the photo. The fact that he's hanging upside down doesn't help either, probably it was his intention to remain unseen.

Here is the Goby sections - this is the Red-mouthed goby or Rdečeusti glavač (Gobius cruentatus)...

... and this one is Slender goby or Peščeni glavač (Gobius geniporus).

I'm not sure what this is - maybe an alga? I've seen them already last year, especially on Šolta.

There were fields of beautifully coloured alga, that looked like an autumn forest. I think that green and brown ones are both Red alga Topovejnata lavrencija (Laurencija obtusa) and the whitish one is a Pink bush alga or Kosmata alga (Wrangelia penicillata).

In the evening most of the crew walked over the hill to the town of Kaprije for a snack and ice cream. In the morning after the breakfast we sailed only a short distance to the island of Zmajan. It was time for swimming and snorkeling again.

I snorkeled here before and found several interesting things, so my hopes were high. I saw several Red seasquirts or Rdeči kozolnjak ali morska breskev (Halocynthia papillosa).

It was funny how this Rock goby or Mrki glavač (Gobius paganellus) showed off all his fins in hope to look bigger and scare me away.

After all these years I still find new things - I think this is a very pretty Pink sponge or Vijoličasta zobčasta spužva (Dysidea avara).

Almost under the same sponge that I saw it last year, I found the Dotted seaslug or Pikasti perjaničar or Dalmatinček (Discodoris atromaculata) again. It is one of the prettiest slugs I've seen. Under the lower edge of the sponge a Black squat lobster or Črni skakač (Galathea squamifera) is hiding.

I took several photos of slug and only on my computer back home I realised, that there were two of them, you can see the other one hiding in the hole.

In the afternoon we sailed back to Kremik marina and after the lunch our guests and myself drove back home. I was really anxious to see how my my garden is doing.