California Dreaming from Howard Hall on Vimeo.

Shot entirely in the ethereal kelp forests along California's Pacific coastline, this breathtaking new video from marine cinematographer Howard Hall beautifully illustrates that you don't have to travel to the tropics for an incredible marine-life encounter.

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The Mola mola, or ocean sunfish is the heaviest of all bony fishes. An adult female can produce up to 300 million babies in one brood, a Guiness World Record!

It might be cold and murky, but the Pacific Ocean along America's west coast is teeming with life. This is in part due to a process called upwelling. Each summer, wind and water currents work together to bring nutrient-rich cold water up from the deep sea. These cold currents encourage seaweed growth and blooms of phytoplankton, which in turn support many other species. 

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Swarms of krill come to feed in the phytoplankton-rich waters...a real treat for passing baleen whales.

If we had to name the ultimate underappreciated marine organism, seaweed would be a serious contender for the crown. The giant kelp in this video is known to grow 25-30 centimetres (10-12 inches) per day – that's 2.5 metres per week! You can actually see it growing with the naked eye. This dense cover provides the perfect home for hundreds of different species, making it a hidden biodiversity hotspot for filmmakers like Hall.

"People often ask where my favourite diving is. Well, on a good day, nothing beats the Southern California kelp forest," he said.

The film, which was originally shot for an ocean conservation fundraiser, highlights the amazing animals hiding just beyond the kelp ... from a giant pacific octopus to a sarcastic fringe gill fish battle you don't want to miss.

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Sarcastic fringeheads are extremely temperamental. They use their other-worldly jaws and sharp teeth to intimidate any who challenge their territories.