Long hot summer - part 2

After a few days with some rain the heath was back. But at least the weather was perfect for snorkelling and in second week I got more opportunities for it. On Saturday, 24th of August, we made a stop near island Vela Krbela. Snorkelling there was really good.

There was this area where I saw dozens of these - the Hope's Elysia or Pisanček (Thurdilla hopei).

I was very happy to see a couple of these guys as well, and this time they even weren't too shy. This is a Peacock worm or Pahljačasti cevkar (Sabella pavonina).

Wherever there is sandy bottom or even just sandy patches, there are these guys - the Scaldfish or Morski jeziki (Arnoglossus spp.)

And finally I managed a decent photo of Ornate wrasse or Pavji kenz (Thalassoma pavo) - they are always so fast that the photos are always blurry, as you can see in one of my previous posts.

In the afternoon we sailed to uvala Stari Trogir. It was very full of boats and the sea quite choppy, again some waves from NW kept rolling in, even in the night. So after not so great night we immediately sailed to Mali Drvenik to uvala  S of Rt Kuknara. We had a good brunch and stayed for a while for swimming and snorkelling. It wasn't the best snorkelling place, but quite ok, and I found this group of shells, tubeworms, sponges and hydroids there.

In the afternoon we sailed on to Šolta to Uvala Stračinska. We had to anchor and then tie the back of the boat to the rocks, the bay was too deep and too full of boats to just anchor somewhere. It took some time and effort, but afterwards there was still enough light for snorkelling.

Right behind the boat I met this fellow - the Comber or Kanjec (Serranus cabrilla).

And this might be a new type of sponge for me - it could be the Lobate fig sponge or Prepletena spužva (Oscarella lobularis).

This is the only Fireworm or Ognjeni črv (Hermodice carunculata) that I've seen in whole three weeks.

Next morning we weren't in a hurry, so I went snorkelling again. I found this pretty Giant goby or Skalni glavač (Gobius cobitis).

This is the Encrusting bryozoan or Rdeči skorjevec (Schizobrachiella sanguinea), this one is growing in protected water and that's why it looks like branches. 

This is one of my favourite small fish, alone for the name - it is Small Triplefin Blenny, in Slovene Pritlikavi sprehajalček or Dwarf walker, in Italian Peperoncino minore or Small chilli pepper and Tripterygion melanurus in Latin.

In the early afternoon we sailed to Uvala Blaca on island Brač. On the way we saw some dolphins near one of the bays with fish farms. In uvala Blaca we again had to drop anchor in the middle of the bay, back the boat up to the shore and tie it to the rocks. Uvala Blaca is really very pretty and it looked like a great place for snorkelling. And I found plenty of pretty things there.

This Encrusting bryozoan or Rdeči skorjevec (Schizobrachiella sanguinea) is not so branchy, so it probably gets more waves and currents than the one in Šolta.

I did't see too many tunicates this year - this is a Red sea squirt or Rdeči kozolnjak or Morska breskev (Halocynthia papillosa).

And finally there was also an Orange puffball sponge or Morska pomaranča (Tethya citrina).

The Bogues or Bukve (Boops boops) are usually not very often to be found in bays, so I was quite happy to manage a good photo of one.

This is the "bigger brother" of Small tripplefin, it is a Red-black triplefin or Rdeči sprehajalček (Tripterygion tripteronotus). It's Italian name is Peperoncino, as expected, but it has a great Croatian name - Pjevčić ostronosić - Small singer with sharp little nose.

There were plenty of hydroids under every rock, but these guys are very small and not easy to photograph - these are the Tree hydroid or Morski grmiček (Eudendrium spp.). I'm happy to have managed a nice photo, where also tentacles of polyps are visible.

Here is another Red-spotted horseshoe or Apnenčasti cevkar (Protula tubularia), I just couldn't resist it.

This bright orange thing is a Red sponge or Spužva žilavka (Spirastrella cunctatrix).

This year I've already seen the Cardinal fish or Morski kraljiček (Apogon imberbis) as North as in Mali Drvenik, usually I've been seeing them in Plakinski otoci near Hvar and more to the South. 

These delicate things are Ostrich-plume Hydroinds or Morska peresca (Aglaophenia spp.)

And here is a close-up with tiny polyps on branches.

This Common octopus or Navadna hobotnica (Octupus vulgaris) was of decent size and it put itself on display, which made me very happy.

These are Sea tubes or Bleščeči mehurčki (Valonia utricularis), every bulb or tube is one large multiple-nucleus cell.

Here is a group of Mediterranean damselfish or Črnikov (Chromis chromis) and in the bottom is a baby Dusky grouper or Navadna kirnja (Epinephelus marginatus), I've never seen so many as this year.

In the early afternoon we sailed to island Hvar to Uvala Stiniva in front of town Vrboska. On the way we saw dolphins again. In the evening after the dinner we dinghy to the town of Vrboska and did some shopping and had a good ice cream.

Next day we sailed along the island of Hvar and ended in Luka Soline on Paklinski otoci. As expected it was very crowded in every bay, so we found the space in a bay that is not very protected, but we thought the waves, that were coming from NW would die after the NW wind dies in the evening. This unfortunately didn't happen, the wind did die, but the waves stayed and got even more annoying. A little after two in the morning both me and Captain were up, assessing the situation and debating what to do. We decided to move to island Brač, we didn't expect to find place to anchor in near bays in the middle of the night. We sailed all the way to W side of island Brač and anchored in Uvala Stiniva in early morning. And then we slept for a while.

In the middle of the day I went snorkelling there, but the visibility was not the best. I managed to find the Gold sponge or Spužva žveplenjača (Aplysina aerophoba) in company of Horse sponge or Konjska spužva (Hippospongia communis).

...and a Red-mouth goby or Rdečeusti glavač (Gobius cruentatus).

This could probably be a green algae Kladofora (Cladophora prolifera), it looked pretty floating in the water.

In the afternoon we sailed to Čiovo to town Slatine to meet some friends and had a nice evening in good company.

Next morning we sailed on and just after rounding the SE corner of the island Čiovo we saw some dolphins again, this time even close enough for some photos. These are common Bottlenose Dolpins or Velike pliskavke (Tursiops truncatus).

 

Long hot summer - part1

This summer was long and really hot. The heath and tons of mosquitoes really took the joy out of any outdoors activities. In the middle of August I drove to Skradin again and spent three weeks on Heron. 

The temperatures in Dalmacija were even higher than back home and staying even one day in marina was straining. A little comfort came from cool showers and beautiful surroundings. Occasionally the dragonflies flew by, like this Blue-tailed damselfly or Modri kresničar (Ischnura elegans)...

...or mom Mute swan or Labod grbec (Cygnus olor) came by with her young ones.

We sailed off on Friday, August 16th, in the evening and spent the night on anchor on Prokljan lake. Next morning we sailed trough the canyon of river Krka...

...towards lake in front of Šibenik and then on through the last part of canyon...

...by on ex military tunnels on to the sea.

Our first stop for lunch and swimming was near island Zlarin. And I went snorkelling, of course. I was lucky to again see a live Green ormer or Petrovo uho (Haliotis lamellosa).

I discovered this weird looking thing, that looked like some sunken large vehicle with two wheels still attached and some big Oysters or Ostrige growing on it.

Forecast for the rest of the week was not great, so we chose the bays where we would be well protected. First night we slept in Uvala Mirina, next one in Grebaštica, where we had some rain, and the next one in Rogoznica where we had a lot of wind and even more rain. Not only that the bays are not very good for snorkelling, but the weather was not suitable for it either.

On Tuesday we still had some rain in the morning, but later on the sun came from behind the clouds. We made a short stop in Primošten and in afternoon anchored in Uvala Zaražanj on island Zmajan, under the blue sky in bright sunshine.

Of cours I had to use the opportuniti to go snorkelling. The Forkweed or Ploščata razcepljenka (Dictyota dischotoma) was shining in the sunlight.

I found a pretty Mediterranean red sea star or Ognjenordeča zvezda (Echinaster sepositus).

There were plenty of Mediterranean damselfish or Črnikov (Chromis chromis), these are the young ones. The adults are dark grey to black, without the blue stripes.

This pretty thing is a variety of Cyanobacteria or Kalotriks (Calotrix spp.).

And this is an algae, the Peacock's tail or Lijakasta padina (Padina pavonica).

I am not sure what this is, maybe some kind of Murex shell.

An this is another mystery - it was quite big and my initial thought was that it is a Giant tun or Sodec (Tonna galea), but the opening doesn't look quite right. So I'm still working on this one.

This is the only Cylinder anemone or Peščena roža (Cerianthus membranaceus) that I found this year.

The Slime tube worm or Peščeni cevkar (Myxicola infundibulum) usually looks like a small black sea urchin, but this one already tried to hide in its tube and I found the outer rim interesting.

Here are some more tube worms - Blood-red tubeworm or Oranžni cevkar (Protula intestinum) in the foreground...

...and Red tube worm or Pisani pokrovčkar (Serpula vermicularis) in the background, here the Blood-red tubeworm was already hidden in its tube.

And since this is the section of tubeworms, here is another beauty - the Red-spotted horseshoe or Apnenčasti cevkar (Protula tubularia).

The Gold sponge or Spužva žveplenjača (Aplysina aerophoba) formed the circle on the ground.

And I was really happy to have found a Common octopus or Navadna hobotnica (Octupus vulgaris), here in company of a Comber or Pirka.

And this was a first nudibranch of the season - the Hope's Elysia or Pisanček (Thurdilla hopei).

This is a Purple sea urchin or Vijolčasti morski ježek (Paracenrotus lividus).

This is a coral, the Pig-tooth coral or Kamnito nakovalce (Balanophyllia europea).

And here is the fish section - first we have a cross looking Painted comber or Pirka or Pisanica (Serranus scriba)...

...and a Rusty blenny or Babica papagajka (Parablennius sanguinolentus) with elegant eyebrow...

...and some Mediterranean sea smelts or Veliki gavuni (Atherina hepsetus) with Common two-banded seabreams or Fratrci (Diplodus vulgaris) in the background.

This Painted comber or Pirka or Pisanica (Serranus scriba) surprised me with very shiny blue belly, don't know if this is a threatening behaviour.

This year I saw many Blue spiny starfish or Mnogokraka morska zvezda (Coscinasterias tenuispina).

And one more fish - the Zvonimir's blenny or Jelenoroga babica (Parablennius zvonimiri).