September sailing - part 2

In the afternoon on Thursday we sailed to island Krk to Punat lagoon to pick up some more friends. We spent the night there, and sailed to Rab again on Friday morning. There was still some NW wind blowing, but not much. The most exciting thing was a group of dolphins, some dozen of them, swimming by. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera at hand.

On Rab we anchored in Uvala Planka, one of my favourite bays for snorkelling. I went into the water straight away and it was again great. 

This is without a doubt a big trophy of this year, I found it under a rock on East side of the bay. I dove down several times and still the photos weren't as great as I hoped for. It is a Spinous squat lobster or Pisani skakač (Galathea stringosa).

This was another nice surprise, first Sepia or Sipa (Sepia officinalis) this year.

Here is another Marbled rock crab or Marogasta rakovica (Pachygrapsus marmoratus), just couldn't resist the pretty face.

Uvala Planka is full of these beauties, the Sea strawberries or Rožnatih plaščarjev (Sindyum elegans or Aplidium elegans), this is probably where I saw them for the first time quite some years ago and was amazed that such colourful things exist in Adriatic sea.

But there were other Tunicates there as well, not less pretty. These are the Colonial tunicate or Spužvasti plaščarji (Didemnum spp.)

These two are both members of the seabreams family - the bigger Annular seabream or Špar (Diplodus annularis) and the smaller Commno two-banded seabream or Fratrc (Diplodus vulgaris). In every bay in Rab where we anchored there was a big school of Annular seabreams under our boat. They were grateful for all the bread crumbs and vegetable rests that we threw into the water.

Finnaly there was also plenty of small fish in Planka, this one is a Zvonimir's blenny or Jelenoroga babica (Parablennius zvonimiri).

I think this is a Pink bush algae or Kosmata alga (Wrangelia penicillata).

I saw several very large schools of Mediterranean sand smelts or Velikih gavunov (Atherina hepsetus).

And finally one of the fan worms - the Red tube worm or Pisani pokrovčkar (Serpula vermicularis).

The Pig-tooth coral or Scarlet coral or Kamnito nakovalce (Balanophyllia europaea) doesn't look like much during the day, it only extends its polyps at night. I find that Slovene name is most suitable for it, translated it would be Small stone anvil. 

This was a first for me - these are Greater amberjack or Gofi (Seriola dumerili), I recognised them by the darker stripe across the eye and small fins. They probably came into the bay to hunt for Sea needles.

There were also plenty of birds in the bay, especially the ones that feed on fish. The European shags or Vranjeki (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) were drying their feathers on the rocks after they were diving for gobies. This one was a bit confused by me swimming up to him but stayed put...

...and this one decided I came too close and moved across the bay.

These weren't the only birds we saw there, in the afternoon while swimming I saw a beautiful Kinfisher or Vodomca (alcedo atthis), he was fishing from a rock at the edge of the bay. I swam in his direction very slowly and he even let me come quite close. I wish I had my camera with me!

These pretty flowers are  relatives of corals, they are the Yellow cluster anemone or Rumeni zoantar (Parazoanthus axinellae). I found them in huge numbers in a small cave in relatively shallow water, usually they live in deeper water and always in very shady areas.

This was one of my attempts at using the microscope feature of my camera and I was surprised that it worked, usually there is a lot of good light necessary for a decent photo. Here you can also see the polyps on Hydroids.

There is plenty of interesting stuff on this photo, there is an Orange ray sponge or Spužva žilavka (Spirastrella cunctatrix) with translucent osculas (the openings through which the filtered water is expelled) above, then there is the the Kidney sponge or Ledvičasta spužva (Chondrosia reniformis) in the middle and in the bottom there is the green algae Codium or Zgrbančeni kodij (Codiun effusum). And I think there is even a colony of tunicates just left of the Kidney sponge - maybe a Sponge sea squirt or Prosojni prevlekar (Diplosoma spongioforme) and next to it above the Codium there is also a Sea strawberry or Rožnati plaščar (Sindyum elegans or Aplidium elegans).

This photo didn't earn it's appearance in this post because of the Sea strawberry or Rožnatega plaščara (Sindyum elegans or Aplidium elegans), but because of the nudibranch Hope's Elysia or Pisanička (Thurdilla hopei) just left above the sea squirt. I discovered it only after analysing the photo on my computer, and I found some more on other photos where I was photographing other things. It is not a good photo of it, but it is the only one where the nudibranch is even recognisable. It is probably due to the poor light that I haven't noticed any while snorkelling.

Next day, on Saturday, we sailed to town of Rab and filled  Heron's fuel tank and bought some fresh bread. Then we sailed to Uvala Sveti Kristofor again. Shortly after anchoring I was in the water again. There were plenty of fish and interesting things to see.

This fellow is the Sharpsnout seabream or Pic (Diplodus puntazzo).

I love how pink the tentacles tips of this Snakelocks anemone or Voščene morske vetrnice (Anemonia viridis) are.

This is a green algae Green sea forks or Grmičasti kodij (Codium vermilara), here from the side ...

... and this is the same thing from the front. I didn't touch it, but it looks very fluffy.

Here is another Zvonimir's blenny or Jelenoroga babica (Parablennius zvonimiri), in a bit brighter colour than the one above.

There ware also the Mullets or Ciplji (Liza spp.) patrolling the bay.

The Sea lemon or Morska pomaranča (Tethya citrina) was exactly the same as a few days ago, but I think it deserves another photo here.

This is a Small triplefin blenny or Pritlikavi sprehajalček (Tripterygion melanurus), in Croatian Pjevčič patuljič and in Italian Peperoncino minore. It has such poetic names - translated Slovene name would be a Dwarf walker, Croatian name would mean Dwarf singer and Italian Little chilli pepper. Cute!

On Sunday afternoon we brought our friends back to Punat on Krk. We sailed off straight away and anchored in bay Meli on Cres at around 10 in the evening. I was surprised that there were already 4 sailboats anchored there.

We had a peaceful night and sailed off in the morning after breakfast. We sailed by on Ćutin islands in front of bay Meli...

...and anchored in a bay at Male Orjule in the middle of the day, I decided I want to snorkel there.

Under the water I didn't see anything spectacular, just this big and fat Mullet or Ciplja (Liza spp.)...

.. and obligatory school of Annular seabreams or Šparov (Diplodus annularis) under our boat.

In the afternoon we sailed along the coast of Lošinj and anchored in bay Sunfarni for the night. And luckily we were alone again. 

Next day I went snorkelling again, around midday, when the light is the best. It wasn't the best snorkelling ever, but I found lots of usual suspects. And I enjoyed every moment of it, knowing it is probably my last snorkelling for the year. 

This may look like a green algae, but it's not - it is a Calothrix, a sort of Cyanobacteria, its Slovene name is Kalotriks (Calothrix spp.)

There were many Beadlet anemones or Rdeče morske vetrnice or Konjske vetrnice (Actinia equina) with its velvety red mantle.

In the evening we returned to marina in Mali Lošinj and next day I returned home. Captain stayed on the boat for two more weeks.

I was so happy that we had such good weather and that water was still warm enough for snorkelling. And that I managed to make so many nice photos, although the light was really not the best. 
 

September sailing - part 1

Last week in September I spent on Heron again, along with some friends. We drove to Mali Lošinj on Sunday and Captain was already waiting for us. But the weather was very windy, strong burja (NE wind) was blowing, so we decided to stay in marina that night. In late afternoon we drove to the town of Mali Lošinj and made a stop along the way to check the wind and the sea on the North side. In moments our car was salty from the spray that the wind was carrying from the sea.

Later we had a really delicious meal in a small restaurant at the Lošinj airport.

Next morning the wind was still strong, although it should already weaken down according to most forecasts. After coffee and a breakfast we maneuvered Heron from between the boats in marina and sailed SE along Lošinj. Ride was very fast and a bit bumpy and we made the first stop behind Ilovik. Although sun was shining nobody went swimming because of the strong wind. In the afternoon we sailed on towards Olib, but soon changed our mind. The wind kept on blowing, there were very uncomfortable waves rolling down from Kvarnerič, so we sailed to Uvala Bujsin on West side of Silba and anchored for the night. We were alone in the pretty bay and some of us even got into the water.

We had a calm night in protected anchorage, although wind was still strong. Next morning most of forecasts claimed that wind was already over, but in reality it was nothing but. Captain and crew still decided to sail dinghy to town of Silba and found there a big party in honour of new police station going on. 

In the middle of the day we sailed on to Olib, we sailed along Silba to the South and then back up North to our usual anchorage in NW part of the island. And we were alone again in the whole anchorage.

The early afternoon light was still quite good and I went snorkelling. It took me a couple of seconds to get my head and especially ears under the water, but after a while water wasn't cold any more. And I've seen quite a few pretty things. 

The pair of gobies on this photo could be Black gobies or črna glavača (gobius niger), but they are not of the usual colours. Usually they are darker with blue fins, but the body shape is right and  I've found photos of some in similar colours as here.

This was the first big excitement of the day, the Redbrown leathery doris or Ploščati perjaničar (Platydoris argo). It was very small, probably a baby. I've seen plenty of adults here in Olib over the years.

I'm also posting this photo of the same guy because his rhinophores (nosni izrastki ali rinofore) in front are so nicely visible. The greyish lace in the back are the gills (škrge) with which they are breathing. 

This is another goby, the Slender goby or Peščeni glavač (gobius geniporus).

I've seen two Red comb stars or Oranžaste morske zvezde (Astropecten aranciacus).

This might be a Daisy anemone or Sončna vetrnica (Cereus pendunculatus), I'm not really sure.

The Red-mouthed goby or Rdečeusti glavač (Gobius cruentatus) was posing with all of its fins spread.

The Murex shell or Čokati volek (Hexaplex trunculus) has very colourful rim around the opening of shell.

I'm not sure who this pretty thing is, but I love the colours.

In the evening we had a beautiful sun set over Silba...

...while an almost full moon was raising above Olib.

This was what we woke to the next morning and as my friend said, if there were some palm trees along the shore, this could well be photographed in the Caribbean.

In the middle of the day I was snorkelling again. I saw two Common stingrays or Navadna morska biča (Dasyatis pastinaca).

This is the Yellow tube sponge or Spužva žveplenjača (Aplysia aerophoba), aerophoba means "afraid of the air", probably because it changes its colour to blue when exposed to the air.

In early afternoon we sailed North towards Rab. At the beginning there was almost no wind and then somewhere near Novalja on Pag all of the sudden we got hit by 30 knots of Burja, NE wind. We were really thinking wind was gone. It only lasted for some hour, but it made the boat salty and produced waves. Again all the forecasts, that produce generalised prognosis, were wrong and we found that only Croatian Aladin included all the local weather patterns and relief of the land to accurately predict the wind, also for the next days.

In early evening we anchored in lovely bay Uvala sveti Kriftofor. And again we were all alone.

Next day around noon I went snorkelling again. There was lots of life and colours under water. I found a Red squirt or Rdeči kozolnjak (Halocynthia papillosa) under a rock.

There were several bright Orange ray sponges or Spužve žilavke (Spirastrella cunctatrix) there.

This is a Marbled rock crab or Marogasta rakovica (Pachygrapsus marmoratus).

The small things under the sponge are Hydroids, I don't know exactly of which kind.

And this is a Twin fan worm or Dvoperjaničar (Bispira volutacornis).

I have a soft spot for Sea lemons or Morske pomaranče (Tethya citrina) and I'm always very happy when I find one. Although it's only a sponge. I find the Slovene name more appropriate than English or Latin, because it really looks more like an orange than a lemon.

These delicate creatures are Ostrich-plume hydroids or Morska peresca (Aglaophenija spp.), the relatives of corals.

This is one of the prettiest algae, the Forkweed or Ploščata razcepljenka (Dictyota dichotoma).

This Rock goby or Skalni glavač (Gobius cobitis) was probably the biggest that I've ever seen, it almost frightened me looking so gloomy under the rock. It can grow up to 30cm, and this one looked to me to be right there with size.

I was happy to see the Red-black triplefin or Rdeči sprehajalček (Tripterygion tripteronotus), even without bright red colours, this year I haven't seen them often.

I don't think I've ever seen a Date shell or Morski datelj (Lithophaga lithopaga) surrounded by algae.

And finally there were also my beloved tunicates, the Sea squirt Sea strawberries or Rožnati plaščarji (Sindyum elegans or Aplidium elegans).

Beside the pretty colours and Hydroids there are also the Sea tubes or Bleščeči mehurčki (Valonia utricularis) in the upper part of the photo, the shiny bubbles are actually one cell each.

When I was already out of the water, we saw a school of Sea needles or Igle (Belone belone) swimming around the boat, along with a big school of Sea breams or Šparov. Sea needles were probably attracted by large schools of Mediterranean sand smelts or Gavunov, that were abundant in the bay and are the favourite food of Sea needles. But there are bigger fish that eat Sea needles and they also came, so we saw a lot of hunting around the boat and fish jumping out of the water. What a sight!