Puget Sound Underwater Wildlife Report

8/13/2023

This past week, far below the surface of our local waters, the water temperature is still warming. average was 55º, far above what it should be.
Wildlife spotted: Many small Opalescent and Diamondback Nudibranchs. Leopard and Heath's Dorid's common in our waters have been plentiful and spotted.
No Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers have been spotted at any of the usual spots. Most likely they have been preyed upon.
Lots of Rockfish. Copper, Brown, and
Few jelly's were spotted. The occasional Egg-yolk and Cross, but no Lions Mane were spotted.
Various Kelp looks very healthy and plentiful.
Pacific Red Octopus are seen and plentiful, mostly smaller ones though.
I'm not seeing the usual numbers of sculpins. Typically of the 39 different types, I will see at least four or five on a regular basis. This summer I've not been seeing as many as usual.