Discovering La Jolla in a whole new way…

I have always loved the ocean, even if it was just in the distance for most of my life.

I don’t know why it took me so long to actually go and jump in it, you see, is easier to be scared of the unknown, to let your mind play tricks, but there is something tremendously special about spending hours with your head in the water, to feel a part of that amazing blue world for a little while..

Is so special and magical to get to share the same space with so many creatures, get to see some of their behaviors and ways of life, even the sun rays look so magnificent underwater,

I used to go to La Jolla every once in a while all the way from Los Angeles just to photograph the seals and sea lions, the beach and the birds, always wondered was underneath that thin blue line, I never would’ve thought all those years back that i would get to actually discover what was down there, 

But now here i am with a little under a hundred dives done at la jolla shores, i’m still mesmerized every single time.

La Jolla Canyon edge drops to almost 700 Ft deep

Dropping off the canyon’s edge is one of my favorites, feeling so weightless as you descend to a darker and colder world full of life waiting to be discovered once you turn on your light,

Finding out the specific names for every creature i have come upon with has been interesting, and with the help of a super helpful class on fish ID i took sometime ago i have been able to learn more about them.

How the flounder fish goes through metamorphosis as they grow from a tiny fish to a whooping 15 pounds, how territorial the sarcastic fringe head is of it’s burrow, how the California sheepshead goes from female to male when is the right time! So many species of nudibranchs each one more alien looking that the other one, the eventual sea lion that comes charging curiously at you and i even got to meet the captivating octopus! 

Octopuses have been a source of inspiration in my drawings for a while, they are fascinating creatures with many tricks and skills to hunt and stay alive, getting to know them after many years of watching them on documentaries and pictures was a magical experience, diving has opened the door to a marvelous underwater world, a world I always wanted to be a part of. I can only imagine what an ocean without threats of overfishing, plastic pollution, habitat loss must look like, oceans are vulnerable, they are not this infinite source of food where humans can take more than what is really needed without caring about what’s left behind for the species who depend on it because ultimately we all depend on a healthy ocean. 

There are many ways to make our human ways more sustainable but first we need to care for all the animals and the delicate balance in the ecosystems, we can be so much better, appreciation and love for each other is the key, no matter how different we are all unique and worthy.