Decided to check out Porteau. The wrecks are looking good.

[deepdiverbc]

With all the talk about octopus and good vis at Porteau I decided to check it out this Saturday. We swam out to the Nakaya buoy and after checking out that wreck swam over to the Granthall. It was a daytime dive so we didn't expect to find the octopus but the wrecks were covered in plumose with schools of shiner perch. With the sunny weather and good vis the plumose and fish light the wrecks up. It was a great dive.

Nakaya

Granthall

 

[jeckyll]

Looks great, nice pictures too. I may try to head up there next weekend to check it out again.

 

[S. starfish]

The viz is soooo good right now. it excites me.
Nice pics.

 

[MarkH]

Nice photos. I remember last time I dove there (8 or so years ago) there wasn't a single plumose anemone on either the Granthall or Nakaya. -Just lots of tube worms. There were lots of plumose and perch everywhere else though.

 

[TSandM]

I looked at these pictures and I really chuckled.

The people I just dove with in Monterey love plumose anemones. They get excited if they see ONE. In fact, they have a landmark at Lobos called "Lone Metridium".

They'd understand why I don't get wildly excited about them, if they saw these pictures

 

[deepdiverbc]

Nice photos. I remember last time I dove there (8 or so years ago) there wasn't a single plumose anemone on either the Granthall or Nakaya. -Just lots of tube worms. There were lots of plumose and perch everywhere else though.

I know you have a lot more dive sites to check out on the island but surely Whytecliffe and Porteau are worth a dive every eight years. You should come over.

I have been told that Plumose swim. That is why a wreck will be covered with them and then the next time you do a dive they are all gone. I've never seen one do it though.

 

[MarkH]

I know you have a lot more dive sites to check out on the island but surely Whytecliffe and Porteau are worth a dive every eight years. You should come over.

I have been told that Plumose swim. That is why a wreck will be covered with them and then the next time you do a dive they are all gone. I've never seen one do it though.

Believe me I would, but the ferry costs even more than a dive charter. I always fantasize about trying for a dive or two when I'm visiting there for other reasons, but there is never enough time.

 

[deepdiverbc]

Believe me I would, but the ferry costs even more than a dive charter. I always fantasize about trying for a dive or two when I'm visiting there for other reasons, but there is never enough time.

Just walk on the Nanaimo ferry and get one of us city divers to pick you up at Horseshoe Bay. I'd offer but I'm leaving for some warm water diving next month so will be hanging up the drysuit until after Xmas.

 

[Les]

what depth were the Nakaya pics at. That is some sweet vis. I have never been to the Nakaya. Both time tried but the surface current was so bad decided to abort that dive and drift over to the Granthall. I missed the buoy by inches and the current took me over to the pier. That sucked.

 

[deepdiverbc]

what depth were the Nakaya pics at. That is some sweet vis. I have never been to the Nakaya. Both time tried but the surface current was so bad decided to abort that dive and drift over to the Granthall. I missed the buoy by inches and the current took me over to the pier. That sucked.

MOD was 99ft so I guess the deck photos were about 15ft-20ft shallower.

We entered in the bay and I had nothing else to do but count my kicks. It took about 700 kicks to get the the Nakaya buoy. The tidal swing was only about 5ft that day and we dove the slack. I wouldn't want to do that swim in current. You can enter farther north along the shore for a shorter swim but it's a bit rocky along the beach.