Welcome to Total Bottom Time!

Total Bottom Time is my online personal dive log. A place where I can share my dives with friends, family, other divers, and the world. You can find out a bit more about me and see my full log of dives by clicking on my profile on the right. Feel free to subscribe to my dives via email or RSS.

Below are just some of my latest dives.

Our second dive of the day at Houghton Bay was much more eventful. It started with us encountering many blue moki feeding amongst the kelp.

Blue Moki

There were many crayfish on the site but I enjoyed this particular shot from "Alan's Crack" with crayfish legs going every direction.

Crayfish

Then I found this Pegea confoederata (Salp). There's always a blue cod around to photo bomb.

Pegea confoederata (Salp)

I discovered the tiniest molt of a crayfish I've ever seen. It was surprisingly tough and didn't fall apart.

Molt of a Crayfish

A nice polymastia boletiformis (sponge).

Polymastia Boletiformis (Sponge)

As we headed back to shore, we stumbled across this beautiful octopus. I suspect it was older and more mature as it didn't seem to care how close we got. It didn't really back off at all. Maybe it just didn't see us as much of a threat and was used to divers with cameras.

Octopus

And of course there was the requisite photo bomb by a blue cod!

Blue Cod Photo Bomb

 

I've taken to using iNaturalist NZ for fish identification and the findings for the day are at Observations on ...

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Off to Houghton Bay and Princess Beach for a day of diving.

Lots of Crystal Jellies in the bay. Even saw one being picked apart by a scarlet wrasse.

Crystal Jellies

Scarlet Wrasse vs Crystal Jellies

An impressive Seven-armed Sea Star.

Seven-armed Sea Star

We often see thse Southern Cat's Eye on kelp.

Southern Cat's Eye

Found a photogenic Tiger Topsnail hanging out in a sponge.

Tiger Topsnail

I love the look of the wandering Wandering Sea Anemone.

Wandering Sea Anemone

Finishing up the dive, this blue moki spent some time following us around.

Blue Moki

I've taken to using iNaturalist NZ for fish identification and the findings for the day are at Observations on 2025-02-01.

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It was a nice day with good conditions and great visibility and it was time for dive 2.

We spent more time on the "gravel road" through the site, where various species of wrasse were in the area.

Scarlett Wrasse

Brownspotted Wrasse

This wrasse hung around me long enough but it was still a bit coy about getting its picture taken.

Purple Wrasse

I also found these strings of eggs floating in the water. Unsure of what they are eggs of.

Eggs

I've taken to using iNaturalist NZ for fish identification and the findings for the day are at Observations on 2025-01-25.

Click here to continue reading...