July snorkelling - part 1

Couple of days ago I returned from Heron where I spent a week with Captain and our friends. We arrived to Skradin on Wednesday early afternoon and it took some time to get all the luggage and food onto the boat and then to store everything. It was already late afternoon before we sailed off. We didn't sail far, only to Prokljansko jezero (lake), just a wide body of water on the way to Šibenik with still partly fresh water in it. It really looks like a lake.

There were some swans swimming around.

We stayed there for the night and after a delicious BBQ we had a good night sleep in quite chilly night.

Next day we sailed on through the fjord to Šibenik with its fort...

...and then on by the outer fort at the channel exit to the sea. It is a great defence point, this is the only way to approach Šibenik on water.

After a stop for swimming near small island of Krbela mala we ended in Luka Grebaštica for the night. It was quite windy and the sea very choppy outside, but in the bay it was calm and we again slept well. Also thanks to the not very warm temperatures.

Next day we sailed to Primošten and made a stop for lunch and a swim. Then we sailed on to Stari Trogir, a pretty bay with clear turquoise water. Luckily there was less wind and waves as the day before, so we again had a good night.

Next morning I had to go snorkelling, although it was still rather early and the light not optimal, so not all photos turned out great. But I knew it is a good snorkelling spot and it didn't disappoint. 

This is a Comber or Kanjec (Serranus cabrilla) hiding under the rocks.

I think this is an European thorny oyster or Morsko kopito (Spondylus gaederopus).

In whole week I only saw one tunicate, this pretty Pink sea squirt or Navadni kozolnjak (Ascidia mentula).

The rainbow colours around the Barnacles or Vitičnjaki (Balanus spp.) are proof, that the sun was too low and the light was not optimal for taking photos.

I was very surprised to find this baby Dusky grouper or Navadna kirnja (Epinephelus marginatus), there are not many around, especially not grown ones, they are very popular with underwater fishermen with spears. But it looks like this bay is a good nursery for them. I wish they would have the chance to grow up.

The bay is very sandy and there were many Scaldfish or Morski jezik (Arnoglossus spp.) on the sand.

This is the pretty red algae Pink dragon's breath or Lepa halimenija (Halymenia floresia).

This must be the smallest Blue spiny starfish or Mnogokraka morska zvezda (Coscinasterias tenuispina) that I saw.

I was very happy to have found the Hope's elysia or Pisanček (Thuridilla hopei). They are really small, up to 2cm, and not easy to spot and photograph.

Look at this pose, you can immediately see this one have been working out - it is a Dalmatian blenny or Dalmatinska babica (Lypophtys dalmatinus).

It looks like the blennies like to pose - and Red-black triplefin or Rdeči sprehajalček (Triterygion tripteronotus) has right attire for posing.

This is another red algae, I wasn't able to find English name, in Slovene it is Škrlatna sluzavka (Acrosymphyton purpuriferum).

I couldn't resist another Red-black triplefin or Rdeči sprehajalček (Triterygion tripteronotus), in same pose, but from different angle.

There were several Hope's elysias or Pisančkov (Thuridilla hopei), I was glad I saw so many of them.

This is not the best photo, but the Ornate wrasse or Pavji kenz (Thalassoma pavo) is so pretty, it still earned appearing in this post.

 There were surprisingly many Rusty blenny or Babica papagajka (Parablennius sanguinolentus) patiently sitting around while I was taking photos, normally they are very nervous and flee at first sight of movement.

This is the Mediterranean rainbow wrasse or Knez (Coris julis), the female, of less bright colour than male but with pretty red eyes.

These are the Sharpsnout seabreams or Pici (Diplodus puntazzo).

And here is the male Mediterranean rainbow wrasse or Knez (Coris julis).

Another pretty wrasse, the Peacock wrasse or Lep (Symphodus tinca), again the female, males are even prettier. The Slovene name Lep means handsome. Maybe my new found love for wrasses I discovered in Thailand still continues.

Here is another Scaldfish or Morksi jezik (Arnoglossus spp.), there were so many of them.

And among them were the Wide-eyed flounders or Širokogledi rombi (Bothus podas). If you compare both photos, you can see how much more apart the eyes of Wide-eye flounder are.

I had to include one more photo of Dusky grouper, this is the second one I saw, and I was so excited to have discovered them and that I was able to make some decent photos.