Some years ago I moved to California. I had never lived near the ocean, and what little I knew about it came from rare trips to the seashore, exploring tide pools, snorkeling and whatever I picked up at aquariums, zoos, TV shows and books. In 2009, however, I became a certified SCUBA diver, and I ceased to be an observer in the ocean - I was able to become part of the environment. After becoming certified in Hawaii, I returned to California and started diving off the coast in and around Monterey. This was quite a challenge, as often the conditions are treacherous, the water cold and the visibility limited. But when the conditions are right diving in the kelp forests can be as rewarding as any coral reef in the world. And unlike most tropical reefs, there is the possibility of see large mammals, such as seals, sea otters, sea lions in addition to a myriad of fish, crustaceans, colorful sea slugs, anemones and the wonderful beauty of the kelp itself. I hope to spend many more years diving in the kelp forest of the Eastern Pacific Ocean and drawing more and more of the animals encountered there. If you would like to see a particular species drawn or would like to have information about having a custom drawing done please send me an email.
Not far offshore of the coastline of North America lay one of most amazing underwater environments on earth: the Kelp Forests. In this world of murky ocean currents live an incredible diversity of life, from the microscopic animals that are the foundation of the food chain, to the massive whales that pass through feeding on them is a complex structure of predator and prey, life and death and harsh and serene beauty of, what is essentially, a submerged cold water rainforest. A myriad of fish live here like the California Sheephead, Giant Sea Bass, Lingcod, dozens of species of rockfish, schools of herring, crustaceans like crabs and snails, isopods, along with large marine mammals such as the harbor seal and elephant seal. Hundreds of species of invertebrates make the kelp forests their home such as the sea slugs whose decorative patterns rivals the coloration poison dart frogs of the tropical jungles. The kelp itself is the basis for this amazing explosion of life in an otherwise empty part of the ocean. It is sometimes called a "ecosystem engineer." The kelp is a type of macroalgae of the order Laminariales. There are several species and some of them can grow at an astonishing rate of several feet a day, and often several species can exist in the same environment. The kelp forests are dramatically effected by the changing seasons and winter storms can rip them from their roots on the sea floor. But this is part of the cycle of this underwater realm, and what is destroyed is replaced in time by new growth. While conditions can be harsh, with dramatic surges, rip tides, cold water and strong currents the kelp forests are popular places for SCUBA divers to visit, drawn the vast array of life in and among the kelp.