Journal archives for January 2022

04 January, 2022

Dive #519 - Dolphin Beach - 13 November 2021

A dive meant to celebrate my new ABD status wasn't that great. I got really hungry, then low-sugar shaky, then much colder than I normally get. I had a bit of a reverse ear squeeze on the way back up.

Counted sea cukes, saw the wolf eel pair (J says they have eggs), waved to the big Vermillion rockfish.

Posted on 04 January, 2022 07:39 by leftcoaster leftcoaster | 5 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

Dive #520 - Keel Cove - 14 November 2021

Stunning viz! 30 minutes of orca singing! Pretty sure it was the residents, because two sea lions came up to us and they didn't look freaked out.

7 grunt sculpins on the sailboat wreck.

Jill and I collected a lot of golf balls.

Viz was so good we checked out some new rocks deeper than the sailboat and to the right a little.

A new-to-me worm.

Posted on 04 January, 2022 07:40 by leftcoaster leftcoaster | 26 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

Dive #521- Madrona (Big Wall) - 9 December 2021

A nice night dive with all the usual suspects on the Big Wall. Highlight was a young GPO was out hunting for snacks that didn't mind us watching and taking photos, and a pair of fighting kelp crabs that were trying to pin each other's arms with their pinchers.

Posted on 04 January, 2022 07:43 by leftcoaster leftcoaster | 47 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

24 January, 2022

Dive #522 - Campbell River - Grouse Island (Outside) - 12 December 2021

The first thing I noticed at this site was the colour: orange, pink, red, purple all over the bottom - sponges encrusting the rocks and strawberry anemone carpets, without bare rock in sight. The beautiful aqua-coloured water, bluer than the emerald green I'm used to.

The other dive group found octos and wolf eels, but J and I were interested in less obvious things. Found a few Red Irish Lords, which blended into the surroundings beautifully. One was guarding eggs! Aggregated nipple sponge, rigid finger sponges, northern staghorn bryozoan, semisuberites cribrosa, and a giant acorn barnacle in the act of shedding its foot were highlights. Jill found 6 PSKC juveniles at the end of the dive.

Posted on 24 January, 2022 04:39 by leftcoaster leftcoaster | 48 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

Dive #523 - Campbell River - Argonaut Wharf - 12 December 2021

Second dive of the day, and it was a little disappointing... the charter took us to Argonaut, which can be accessed as a shore dive. Oh well, I still had never been before. Definite highlight on this dive was a leopard flatworm (!!!) and the abundance of nudis: Heath's, barnacle, common grey, monterey, red-fingered, Nanaimo, Triopha modesta, Adalaria proxima, cadlinas, rainbow, thick-horned, giant white, berthella chacei. Also a few cute little grunt sculpins. And an orange cup coral mystery - right next to orange was a yellow version?!?

Posted on 24 January, 2022 04:49 by leftcoaster leftcoaster | 64 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

Dive #524 - Cottam Point - 19 December 2021

We braved the hill down and got in the water, only for me to forget that I left my fins in the car. There was some swearing on my part! The dive was good, although a little sad - we found the GPO mom deceased in her den. Hopefully the eggs hatched successfully. I had fun taking macro photos of scallop eyes. Highlight was seeing the Chonky Pink Star - it's HUGE!

Getting out was a challenge - waves and current had picked up and we had to time our exit over slippery rocks.

Posted on 24 January, 2022 04:51 by leftcoaster leftcoaster | 15 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

Dive #525 - Maple Bay - 22 December 2021

Brilliant night dive at Maple Bay tonight! Red octos galore (10+) - at one point I was taking a photo of one, knocked a bottle, and another one jetted out in front of me! Other highlights include a padded sculpin, J getting scared out of her wits by a dead lion's mane jelly that suddenly appeared in her face out of the darkness, cockscombs, gunnels, cute buried/digging red rock crabs, batwing sea slugs, sparkling shrimp, pregnant red rocks and graceful crabs, and a friendly pacific cod. And I finally saw a grunt sculpin actually in a giant acorn barnacle shell! Another highlight came in the last 10 minutes in the sand on the left side of the pier, where we found 5 showy snailfish - including one out swimming! They're pretty rare up our way, so it was nice to find them and get J excited about something I found (usually it's the opposite!)

Posted on 24 January, 2022 04:53 by leftcoaster leftcoaster | 70 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

Dive #526 - The Jib - 2 January 2022 (Dive 1 of 2022)

Uneventful dive without many highlights other than a quick drive-by visit from 3 sea lions. The story today was 1st dive of 2022, snow, peaceful calm, and brilliant viz!

Posted on 24 January, 2022 05:20 by leftcoaster leftcoaster | 22 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

28 January, 2022

Dive #527 - Finn Beach - 14 January 2022 (Dive 2 of 2022)

TEN (10) LUMPSUCKERS!!! Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I'd find double-digit lumpsuckers on one dive. Plus two little red octos.

Did I mention TEN (10) LUMPSUCKERS?!?!

Posted on 28 January, 2022 06:15 by leftcoaster leftcoaster | 38 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment