May 11, 2012 Ogden Point Reef Balls video (Victoria)

[MarkH]

https://vimeo.com/42054319

 

[decompression]

Good video, who was behind the placement of the balls? Any talk of putting a small wreck there?

 

[wedivebc]

https://vimeo.com/42054319

Nice Video Mark. The Breakwater is such huge attraction for marine life I never understood the point of putting more crap down there when the area is already so rich in marine life.

 

[Scuba_Noob]

Good video, who was behind the placement of the balls? Any talk of putting a small wreck there?

Scientific Diving - UVic Scuba Club

Valerie Mucciarelli, for her Master's project at UVic, helped in putting the reef balls there in order to research how effective they were in creating a good marine habitat. I think she's finished the project now, but the reef balls seem to be working to increase the amount of life in more barren places.

The last time I visited the reef balls, I followed a line at around 30fsw, and we quickly hit the reef balls. A few other lines branched out to other reef balls. I don't recall much change in depth (stayed relatively close to 30fsw the whole time), so you likely took a different route.

The reef balls I visited had a decent amount of life, but compared to the breakwater, it is quite scarce. I guess the main point was for the scientific knowledge and more life in barren areas near Ogden Point.

 

[MarkH]

I was later told that the big circle of line that I followed was supposed to be a marked-off area where the reefballs were supposed to be placed, but they ended up being dumped at random in a few different places (I heard it was due to rough seas).

 

[decompression]

Interesting, thanks mark. When I lived in esquimalt I noticed lots of reef balls in the public works shed. I always wondered if they were going to put them in saxe point. Like Dave, I agree the breakwater has good diversity but I always thought a small wreck there would be an awesome addition to teach courses and work on skills.

 

[MarkH]

That 737 off Chemainus was close to being sunk off the breakwater. They even had funding/a tug/etc. ready to go. I think the ARSBC had issues with it being a shore dive though.

Interesting, thanks mark. When I lived in esquimalt I noticed lots of reef balls in the public works shed. I always wondered if they were going to put them in saxe point. Like Dave, I agree the breakwater has good diversity but I always thought a small wreck there would be an awesome addition to teach courses and work on skills.