December. Rainy season.

Rain starting, pouring down as the seas picked up to 3′ swells and rising.  We were in between dives when one of the other divers started feeling seasick.  We were pretty close to a nearby dock and offered to drop the diver off.  The captain asked if we minded diving the close reef and we decided it would be good enough with the weather the way it was.

We ended up in the San Clemente shallows, a fairly shallow dive site with not much but sand and small reef outcroppings.  Boredom set in about 30 minutes into the dive with approximately  1900 PSI still remaining.  It was time to really look at the scarce reefs and see the “little stuff” that this mild current afforded us.

The Mantis Shrimp

We started on a the lee side of the small outcropping. I looked in every nook and cranny, finding Cleaner Wrasses, Pederson Cleaner Shrimp, Chocolate-Dipped Damsels and a variety of juvenile critters.  I moved along the reef and found a little more sparse of an area and small movement inside a hole.

There he was. The Mantis Shrimp.

Could it be? Could he be in these waters?  His little green eyes poked out of the hole, turning at such angles that only a Praying Mantis could do – or a Mantis Shrimp.  I summoned my dive buddy to see, and of course the creature decided it was time to hide.  We waited.  No shrimp. I tried to conjure up the hand signal for “Mantis Shrimp” and realized there wasn’t one common between us.  I gave my best kangaroo punch and my buddy gave me the “uh, what” hand signal and shook his head.

We waited more, video camera in hand and hoped for a quick glimpse of the little guy.  He moved in and out about 1/2 an inch, just enough to taunt us.  But he never came out.

The current had pushed other divers along and it was time to catch up to the group.

Maybe another day we’ll find the elusive mantis shrimp with a positive ID on what type he was. And come up with the proper hand signal…

Diving always leaves the land dwellers wanting more. We have only moments in the deep blue sea, and they pass in the blink of an eye.  Time to leave more for tomorrow!