Orange Sea Pens Everywhere

[ChillyWaters]

Okay, I made my way to Setchell Point again. We swam to the nearest buoy, towards the wreck, then took a heading of 95degrees or so.

Let me just say that there are thousands (well, maybe just several hundred) of orange sea pens along the sandy bottom, in approximately 40-50' of water. They are everywhere, even near the wreck itself. They have grown since last time I was there, and some are approximately 4 or 5" in height.

Also tons of nudis in the area: monterey sea lemons, pearly nudi, giant nudis, clowns, white-lined, etc. Also found a nice moonsnail shell. I've found their eggs, their shells, but never seen a live one though.

- ChillyWaters

 

[MarkH]

Okay, I made my way to Setchell Point again. We swam to the nearest buoy, towards the wreck, then took a heading of 95degrees or so.

Let me just say that there are thousands (well, maybe just several hundred) of orange sea pens along the sandy bottom, in approximately 40-50' of water. They are everywhere, even near the wreck itself. They have grown since last time I was there, and some are approximately 4 or 5" in height.

Also tons of nudis in the area: monterey sea lemons, pearly nudi, giant nudis, clowns, white-lined, etc. Also found a nice moonsnail shell. I've found their eggs, their shells, but never seen a live one though.

- ChillyWaters

How was the viz? It's funny that those sea pens seemed to pop up out of nowhere. I've done many dives there and never seen any. Seems like an interesting addition to an already interesting dive. I wonder if they have some sort of life cycle where they pop up, grow, then die off for a few years before starting again? So far, that's the only shore dive around Victoria that I've heard of them (except for the invisible ones at Clover Point).

 

[ChillyWaters]

How was the viz? It's funny that those sea pens seemed to pop up out of nowhere. I've done many dives there and never seen any. Seems like an interesting addition to an already interesting dive. I wonder if they have some sort of life cycle where they pop up, grow, then die off for a few years before starting again? So far, that's the only shore dive around Victoria that I've heard of them (except for the invisible ones at Clover Point).

The viz sucked. I was forced to use my flash for everything because it was so dark. Maybe I'll have to try a tripod like you?

They're definitely new, as I never saw them in the fall, but they all popped up in the spring. Maybe all the nudis have one big buffet, eating them all, like a swarm of locusts.

- ChillyWaters

 

[MarkH]

The viz sucked. I was forced to use my flash for everything because it was so dark. Maybe I'll have to try a tripod like you?

I'm getting pretty sick of that tripod. If I want pictures with a diver in it, I might have to start diving with a buddy (I hear they've genetically engineered pigs that can fly). I sometimes manage to take photos of the "Hyperlimitus trimixus", but it's usually a deep water creature that only rarely comes up to the shallows (perhaps to mate).
[/QUOTE]

They're definitely new, as I never saw them in the fall, but they all popped up in the spring. Maybe all the nudis have one big buffet, eating them all, like a swarm of locusts.

- ChillyWaters

I'll look for them whenever I dive there and probably you'll keep track of them too, so maybe the mystery of the magic seapens will be solved. Too bad about the viz. I wonder if we could get a pulp mill to set up shop in the Goldstream area and chlorinate the Inlet. Then all we'd need is a nuclear power plant to filter the water. Add some fiberglass cloud sponges and rubber octopus and we'd have a "world-class" (cheezy buzzword alert) dive site.

 

[MarkH]

I'll look for them whenever I dive there and probably you'll keep track of them too, so maybe the mystery of the magic seapens will be solved. Too bad about the viz. I wonder if we could get a pulp mill to set up shop in the Goldstream area and chlorinate the Inlet. Then all we'd need is a nuclear power plant to filter the water. Add some fiberglass cloud sponges and rubber octopus and we'd have a "world-class" (cheezy buzzword alert) dive site.

Put away the torches and pitchforks, that was a joke.

 

[wedivebc]

I sometimes manage to take photos of the "Hyperlimitus trimixus",

 

[archman]

Hey Chilly, if you turn off your dive light, do these suckers glow? Just wondering...

 

[ChillyWaters]

Hey Chilly, if you turn off your dive light, do these suckers glow? Just wondering...

Perhaps when the nuclear power plant is installed in the inlet. But probably not until then.

- ChillyWaters

 

[Shawn95]

Tilley Pt........everytime.

 

[MarkH]

Tilley Pt........everytime.

Marine life likes to hide from me. I've never seen them at Tilly Point, but I have seen lots at Clover Point... sometimes. I wonder if they have a seasonal cycle too where they spend alot of time buried and only run around on the surface at certain times of year. I've seen lots of moonsnail eggcasings at Henderson Point, but never an actual moonsnail.