Sea monster from Sea of Cortez resurfaces in shape of an oarfish

Who said there are no sea monsters?

The 15-foot oarfish in a photo being passed around by Bill Roecker of Fishingvideos.com was actually taken in May 2007 at Baja California's East Cape region, near Rancho Leonero Resort, by Troy Tinney of Encinitas.

These bizarre denizens, who occupy the dark depths most of the time, occasionally surface, usually dead or dying. A few have been discovered in recent years in the Sea of Cortez.

They can measure 50-plus feet and undoubtedly -- with their long, oar-shaped fins and crimson manes -- are among species to have spawned tales of sea serpents among ancient mariners.

You may recall the surfacing of a live oarfish in 2006 inside a bay at Santa Catalina Island. Harbormaster Doug Oudin donned snorkeling gear and swam alongside the fish, before it died, and described its coloring as "metallic silver with bright blue-brown spots and splotches, along with its amazing pinkish-red full-length dorsal fin."

Their modern discovery may date to 1808, when a 56-foot serpent-like creature washed ashore in Scotland. In 1901, a 22-foot oarfish drifted onto the sand in Newport Beach, becoming, according to one reference book, "the basis for many sea-serpent stories told by local bar patrons for more than a decade after its discovery."

The oarfish in the photo looks to have had its tail bitten off. In the Sea of Cortez, apparently, there is no dignity in dying.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo: A 15-foot oarfish that surfaced last year in the Sea of Cortez is hoisted by three adults who made the discovery. Credit: Troy Tinney

L.A. scuba diver produces at Sulawesi, Indonesia

Ken Kurtis owns Reef Seekers Dive Company in Beverly Hills and spends much of his free time scuba diving.

He organizes frequent local trips but also travels the world extensively and recently returned from Sulawesi in Indonesia.

Specifically, the L.A.-based group Kurtis accompanied explored pristine reefs as guests of Murex Dive Resorts & Liveaboards. As you can see, it’s a colorful existence, and Kurtis, who shared these images, likes to get up-close and personal with his subjects.

Above is a large turtle. Below is a skunk clownfish, and beneath that is a blue-girdled angelfish. Kurtis used a Nikon D200 with dual Nikon SB-105 strobes, and various lenses. Outposts thanks him for sharing and wishes to express strong envy of his lifestyle.

When we caught up to Kurtis this morning, he was en route to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, where he volunteers as an exhibit diver. This man just can't seem to keep his head above water.

-- Pete Thomas

The undersea world of Holly Beck

What is Holly Beck up to these days?

She’s still a pro surfer, sponsored by Body Glove and living what seems a dream life, brimming with exotic travel.

(Non-surfing fans may recall Beck as a star of the 2003 Warner Bros. reality show, “Boarding House: North Shore.”)

But these days Beck, 26, who lives in Redondo Beach, is spending almost as much time underwater as she is riding waves.

In fact, she and other Body Glove team riders are helping to promote scuba diving, so their surfing expeditions often have a dual purpose.

The accompanying photos are from Beck’s recent snorkeling adventure in Tahiti. And the stingrays in the photos, she says, are the same type that killed Steve Irwin, who starred in the popular show, "The Crocodile Hunter."

To read more about her Tahitian odyssey and discover what else Beck has been up to, check out her blog. To view a very entertaining video of her diving experience with a whale shark off La Paz in Baja California Sur, click here.

Then tell me, how many of you are envious?

-- Pete Thomas

Photos by Justin Lewis for PADI