Observed during the Auckland botanical society’s field trip.
Predator observation here https://inaturalist.nz/observations/241411486
I went snorkelling with a friend just off the beach at Wainui in Akaroa harbour. It's an amazingly diverse and elegant world just under the waves.
Always exciting to find this species. There were 6 individuals under a nice rock with very dense hydroids. Two were very large ~ 2 cm. These hydroids they like are not common ones, these have yellow polyps. Another rock nearby had many Eubranchus eggs on the more common feather hydroids but no sign of the slugs.
Shallow subtidal
Assumed to be a juvenile, quite hard to take a photo of due to a less than opportune location.
Pod of five moving slowly south. No wind and no boat noise so we could hear them breathe.
Pod of Orca in area yesterday
Kekeno was asleep and did not seem uncomfortable. But why has it got a billfish tag attached?