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.