God's Pocket: Is it really the best cold water diving in the world?

[Julieofthesea]

God's POCKET Photo Expedition

Frame the majestic landscape and underwater wildlife; as professional underwater photojournalist Ethan Daniels is the perfect guide in helping you capture the area’s natural beauty. Also educated as a biologist, Ethan will share his knowledge of plant and animal behavior, then show you how to photograph it. Once you’re done shooting, he’ll offer advice on how to work towards a high level of performance with tips on digital photography workflow. No doubt, you’ll come home with a hard drive full of mesmerizing images.

While some will wince at the thought of cold water diving, others know the waters of Vancouver Island offer some of the densest and most diverse sea life in the world. You’ll soon forget about the temperature when you spot the wide variety of giant Nudibranches, Puget Sound King Crabs, Stellar Sea Lions, schools of Rockfish, decorated warbonnets, wolf eels and giant Pacific octopus.

BEST COLD WATER DIVING IN THE WORLD
Discover Browning Wall where every nook and cranny is covered with a wide variety of marine life. Star fish, sponges, large barnacles, soft corals, anemones, scallops, crabs, octopus and so much more.

The dive resort at God’s Pocket promises good food and good conversation. Ask your host about the topside activities available to guests like kayaking, hiking and whale watching.

One of the highlights of this trip will be Diving Nakwakto Rapids. This area is one of, if not the fastest navigable waters in the world. The Nakwakto Rapids are caused by an enormous amount of seawater squeezing through a sliver of a channel during tidal exchanges. Currents churn and create highly oxygenated water that is home to the “red lipped” Gooseneck Barnacles. You’ll sharpen your drift diving skills and have the chance to photograph these brilliant barnacles.

Dates: 15 Oct - 22 Oct 2011

Price based on CAD. Land Only. $2290

God's Pocket in Vancouver, Canada with Ethan Daniels Photo Expeditions Guided Photography Tours

info@reefrainforest.com

email us for more information.

 

[tkdgodess]

Love GP. I've been 3 times. Hussler Point West, Nigei Island "snowball", Browing Pass, Hunt Rock, Browning Wall, Themis Wreck, Frank's Rock, Northwest Passage Wall (love this one)Seven Tree Island, George's Rock, Buttertart Reef (love this one) Lucan Narrows, Husslar Point East.

 

[DeputyDan]

Have never been but my LDS here in North Carolina told me once that if I wanted to learn to dive cold water that GP was to place to go!

 

[TSandM]

I'm not sure that area is the best to LEARN to dive cold water. Most of the dives are deep walls and there can be significant currents. But it is definitely some of the best diving I've seen anywhere in the world.

 

[vjanelle]

If you want to *learn* to dive in cold water, do it in nanaimo/victoria/vancouver first, then head to god's pocket or the hideaway.

But it's well worth the trip.

 

[nadwidny]

If you want to *learn* to dive in cold water, do it in nanaimo/victoria/vancouver first, then head to god's pocket or the hideaway.

Or the Mamro (only liveaboard serving the area)

But it's well worth the trip.

Yup.

 

[Julieofthesea]

We are really excited to learn that Canada is the first to protect their ocean floor by making National Marine Conservation Area Reserve. This isn't far from God's Pocket.

Canada takes world's first step in protecting ocean floor

 

[coldwaterlloyd]

That is just goverment lip service . They are desperately trying to open the west coast to oil drilling ... even with what is happening to the gulf .

 

[MarkH]

I didn't realise Canada was the first to protect the sea floor either. Maybe the Great Barrier Reef, Galapagos Is., etc. don't count. According to the official expert (Wikipedia), there are over 5000 marine protected areas around the world. I'm assuming that many of these areas protect the sea floor and not just the water washing past over it.

 

[donnyb]

As hard as this is to believe, Browning Pass is not a protected area.
Fishing vessels have gone through there with nets.

Several years ago I was drifting along on Browning Wall & found a 20 foot swath of the wall stripped bare, from the waterline down to the depths. I was told that they use a bar and a steel net & just drag it up the wall. Unbelievable, eh?

BTW its Hussar Point, not Hussler.