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DIVE DRY WITH DR. BILL #479: CALIFORNIA OR PACIFIC BARRACUDA

I am often amused at the perception of non-divers regarding the dangers of being submerged with certain marine critters. Frequently I...

It's happened repeatedly over the years and not just here off Catalina. Last year the dead Molas were most obvious in May.

DIVE DRY WITH DR. BILL #478: A COURTING WE WILL GO?

There is a traditional English folk song, actually originating in Scotland about 1548 AD, that I'm sure my readers all know. It goes like ...

DIVE DRY WITH DR. BILL #477: NATURE... KIND?

Way back in the dark ages, 1974 to be exact, Cleveland Amory founder of the Fund for Animals published a book entitled Man Kind? In it he criticized...

Over 400 divers did... and not one response to this? Thanks for participating, Tyler.

DIVE DRY WITH DR. BILL #476: 50 YEARS... AND I STILL DON'T HAVE IT DOWN PAT!

Jon Council's great article on Cap Perkins last week was a reminder that Catalina has been home to some of the true...

DIVE DRY WITH DR. BILL #474: FILMING THE "GREAT WHITE"

If you are a regular reader of this column, you are already aware that I have had the pleasure of filming great whites from a cage in the...

Yikes, Tobin... so sorry to hear that. I was hoping it was just a matter of a car running over one of your back plates and bending it.

Spent the last 3 1/2 months in sunny Sarasota Florida taking care of Mom following surgery. No diving in the Gulf of Mexico... didn't want to leave Mom and you have to go out about 20 miles to hit...

"Big lobster" pland? Gee, I hope not, Ken. I wouldn't want them to be disappointed. I went out and personally talked to all the "big lobster" and they decided to go deep, below 300 ft until late...

Mike, if you're referring to the one who tried to enter Casino Pt dive park with a spear gun, I wasn't present for that one... but a Sheriff's Deputy was and the individual was informed of the law. A...

DIVE DRY WITH DR. BILL #464: TOPSMELT

I've been working on a few new episodes of my cable TV show, one of which focuses on the "baitfish" in our waters. "Baitfish" do not represent a scientific...

DIVE DRY WITH DR. BILL #463: PIPEFISH: A FIRST (FOR ME) IN THE DIVE PARK

My son Kevin came out a few weeks ago to do some diving on his birthday with his old man (that's me!). Always a pleasure to...

DIVE DRY WITH DR. BILL #462: BRITTLE "STARS"

Some of my readers may remember that I have an interest in astronomy as well as the marine environment. A few of you joined my Halley's Comet watching...

DIVE DRY WITH DR. BILL #461: PELT-O-DORIS

Strange title for a column, Dr. Bill. Just what does it mean? Are we talking about a mink pelt for a woman named Doris? Of course not. Even though I'm...

DIVE DRY WITH DR. BILL #460: PACIFIC SARDINE... CANNED, OR IN PIGS AND CHICKEN?

You can call it the Pacific sardine, the California sardine or the California pilchard... or even use its scientific...

This past summer out in Avalon I have observed several spearfishers in areas which are off limits to this activity. A number of them were right in the swimming area of Descanso Beach, and another...

DIVE DRY WITH DR. BILL #459: EGGS...CEPTIONAL!

Despite immersing myself "down under" for almost 50 years now, there are a number of things I have yet to see in King Neptune's realm. I've had many...

"When will we ever learn? When will WE ever learn?"

Glad our dive park still has LOTS of kelp bass including a number of bulls smart enough to hide in the breakwater rocks during the day. And some...

DIVE DRY WITH DR. BILL #458: WHEN'S A MACKEREL NOT A MACKEREL?

How would you like to go through life knowing that almost everyone wants to eat you? You'd have to be constantly on guard, watching...

Friends of mine were heading out to a dive site along Catalina's leeward coast in a rather fast dive boat owned by one of them,. A blue whale surfaced right in front of them and there was no way they...

When I moved to Catalina 42 years ago and began diving with great whites, I bought the biggest, baddest knife I could find at the time... the Jim Bowie of dive knifes. I didn't need to wear as much...

DIVE DRY WITH DR. BILL #457: DRIFT AWAY

Three recent events have coincided to formulate the topic for today's column. I received an e-mail from a doctoral candidate in New Zealand who was studying...

My bank is calling louder than DEMA. Actually, I'll be in Florida during DEMA... but spending time with my Mom helping her with her "honey do" list.

DIVE DRY WITH DR. BILL #456: A TERRIBLE TINGLE, NOT A TICKLE

Non-divers frequently ask me what the most "dangerous" creature I encounter under the sea is. I should probably answer Homo sapiens...