Giant nudibranchs

Nudi-what? Nudibranchs are found all over the globe and are often the focal point for many divers and photographers. They're kinda like Pokemon, you gotta see 'em all. There are about 2300 species around the world, and British Columbia has some of the largest and most spectacular, including the Giant Nudibranch.

You can think of these as "sea slugs" though that seems to be a little bit of a put down as nudibranchs are often very colourful and majestic looking creatures.  Nudibranchs live anywhere from the intertidal zone, all the way down to depths well over 2000 feet. Locally we find them living on the rocky or sandy ocean bed, if you're very lucky you 'll get to see one swimming - they detach from the rocky or sandy bottom and wiggle themselves to "swim". 

The giant nudibranch feeds on tube anemones. They stealthy move into position next to the anemones, being careful not to touch any of its arms and alert it to it's presence. Then they raise up like a cobra, and BAM! They strike...

The nudibranch likes to feed on the anemone's arms, but the anemone itself doesn't actually die.
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The giant nudibranch can grow up to a whopping 24 inches in size, and be found from Alaska down to California.