scuba? good for you man! it will open up a whole new grounds for collecting for ya. we should go dive together one day. where ya doin your open water dive(s)?
sweet pics as always. imo it's always nice to see the rare temperate tank. LOVE that nudi!
as for the crab, yes there is a minimum catch size but no, do not put it back. there are strict regulations on introduction into the wild and a lot of red tape to swim through. there are risks of foreign parasites, death due to it's acclimation to captivity, bla, bla, bla, the list goes on. just don't collect another that size
. me, Ive always wanted a puget sound king crab. those things get massive but are really quite pretty. and edible too!