Orange Sea Pens Everywhere

[Hyper-limits]

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).

Not to mate, only to decompressed and warm up a little bit.

 

[Reagan]

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

Hey there. Can you guys give me some direction to where this shore dive is. General area would be great. Thanks!!

 

[wedivebc]

Hey there. Can you guys give me some direction to where this shore dive is. General area would be great. Thanks!!

Found it on Swanky's site under Pender Island

 

[Hyper-limits]

Hey there. Can you guys give me some direction to where this shore dive is. General area would be great. Thanks!!

Hi Reagan, Setchell Point is right by Deep Cove, if you facing the ocean from the marina it is the point on your left. I myself always enter the water at Setchell point when diving the wreck, Selchell Point is by itself is not a bad dive when the viz is good.

reach it by way of Wain Road and Madrona Drive off West Saanich Road.

Cheers

Al

 

[MarkH]

Hi Reagan, Setchell Point is right by Deep Cove, if you facing the ocean from the marina it is the point on your left. I myself always enter the water at Setchell point when diving the wreck, Selchell Point is by itself is not a bad dive when the viz is good.

reach it by way of Wain Road and Madrona Drive off West Saanich Road.

Cheers

Al

The Tilly Point dive discussed earlier is in the Pender Island section of my website:Tilly Point
Setchel Point is mentioned in the Deep Cove page:Deep Cove

 

[ChillyWaters]

Hey there. Can you guys give me some direction to where this shore dive is. General area would be great. Thanks!!

http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=setchell+road,+saanich,+bc&spn=0.025249,0.039220&hl=en

Go to the end of Setchell Road and take the path to the water. To get to the wreck, swim to the first buoy to the east. Go down and take about a 95degree heading. Well, I do this and always end up to the right of the wreck. You'll know you're getting close when you start finding a bunch of bottles, and you'll be passed it if you start slowly ascending again. If you find this, then go left. It's along a small rocky reef. If you starting seeing fish, you're REALLY close.

If you just want to explore the sands though, take the 90-95degree heading and knock yourself out. Not too much to see in the sands usually though. There are a few gems here and there. Lots of nudis in the sandy area -- white lined and giant -- as well as the sea pens, obviously.

See Swank's webpage for more information. I'm a fan of his webpages -- the photos kick @$$.

- ChillyWaters

 

[*Scuba*Princess*]

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

You are right archman. If you cover your light (on a night dive) and gently run a finger up the side of the sea pen it does glow. They have bioluminescence. Very cool. Our recent night dives have been like an underwater fireworks show with all the bioluminescent critters suspended in the water.

Heres a bit more info on sea pens..... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_pen

sp

 

[ChillyWaters]

You are right archman. If you cover your light (on a night dive) and gently run a finger up the side of the sea pen it does glow. They have bioluminescence. Very cool. Our recent night dives have been like an underwater fireworks show with all the bioluminescent critters suspended in the water.

Heres a bit more info on sea pens..... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_pen

sp

Go figure. I just don't always turn off the lights and start stroking everything. Maybe it's time to start.

- ChillyWaters

 

[MarkH]

I haven't been to Deep Cove in ages (probably over a year) so I went back today. Vis was pretty nasty (around 15 feet), but the fish-eye lens on the video camera makes everything look farther away. It was pretty dark so the video is grainy. The wreck is pretty much the same, but it seems there are more plumose anemones than last time. Of course the huge school of perch is still there. I saw a bunch of sea pens right off the bow of the wreck. They are around 4" tall. So far that's the first time I've seen them in the Victoria area. Frame grabs from video: