Recs for Woods Hole in July

[mouligan]

HI All,

I'll be visiting MBL for part of July. Any recommendations for dive sites while I'm there? I've about 150 in my log book. Certs include OW,AOW, Rescue, O2/1stAid. Most of my diving has been from shore in 5-15 vis, temps in the 50's to low 60's depths to 45 meters. Half has been solo with redundant systems. No interest in hunting, sharks, or wrecks per se. Usually bring my Oly 5050/PT-015 on dives and shoot the little stuff.

Thanks in advance,
Mouligan

 

[Soggy]

Most of my diving has been from shore in 5-15 vis, temps in the 50's to low 60's depths to 45 meters.

Temps in MA rarely get above 50 degrees. I don't know what diving there is specifically in Woods Hole (which gets a bit warmer than North-Shore), but most of us go to Cape Ann area to dive.

No interest in hunting, sharks, or wrecks per se. Usually bring my Oly 5050/PT-015 on dives and shoot the little stuff.

What do you want to see then? We have several beautiful shore dives in the area where you'll see starfish, skate, lobster, crab, striped bass, spiny dogfish (very small shark), tautog, cunner, annenomes, urchins, sea ravens, and more.

 

[mouligan]

Soggy: Might have time for a trip back there. What kind of vis are we talking about (July)? Used to live on Cape Ann. At the time, had not learned diving. Is the entire coast open to divers? How about boat trips out of the Woods Hole area? or Cape Ann? Day trips or short live aboards?

Mouligan

 

[Soggy]

Soggy: Might have time for a trip back there. What kind of vis are we talking about (July)? Used to live on Cape Ann. At the time, had not learned diving. Is the entire coast open to divers? How about boat trips out of the Woods Hole area? or Cape Ann? Day trips or short live aboards?

Mouligan

I don't know anything about Woods Hole, but there are several charters out of Cape Ann to local dive sites. I'm not aware of any live-aboards. Cape Ann Divers is probably the best charter in the area.

In Mass, any waters that people are allowed to swim in, diving is allowed. This means that there are dozens of excellent shore-diving spots up there.

Visibility varys on a day-to-day basis from 1ft to 30ft. 'Normal' is probably 15 ft of vis and temperatures in the 40s.

 

[adshepard]

The MBL pier is a good place to start your New England dive experience. The MBL pier is located on Garbage Beach. Nice name, huh? Anyway I dive right under the pier pilings and find plenty of small stuff. My "specialty" is nudibranchs. Just this past November I found a nudibrach call Thecacera pennigera under those pilings. It was the first time it was ever recorded in New England.

You can also dive the breakwater opposite the pier. Over there you'll have to watch out for fishing lines. Current can be strong at the site too. Oh and the loud roar above your head will be the Martha's Vineyard Ferry. You can do the dive shallow or head out deeper to 70 feet or more. The deeper you go though the more the current may become a problem.

It's not the greatest dive site as viz can be poor, but it will be fairly warm in July and it does have its share of critters.

DSDO

Alan

PS - If you got to my photo gallery there are shots of a ghost anemone and Thecacera pennigera from Woods Hole.

 

[mouligan]

adshepard: great photos! and thanks for the dive suggestions.
what do you think brought thecacera pennigera to new england?
warm waters? unusual currents? are conditions amenable
for reproduction or will they just live out their adult stage?

would you happen to know of any books that cover the area
in a decent manner?

 

[adshepard]

adshepard: great photos! and thanks for the dive suggestions.
what do you think brought thecacera pennigera to new england?
warm waters? unusual currents? are conditions amenable
for reproduction or will they just live out their adult stage?

would you happen to know of any books that cover the area
in a decent manner?

Thanks for the compliment.

I've talked with local nudibranch and invertebrate experts and the jury is out on how T. pennigera arrived. I suspect that it was a hitchhiker on one of the MBL, WHOI or Coast Guard vessels but currents may have also brought it here. I have photographed them laying eggs so reproduction was going on but whether they survived the very cold water that we had this winter is a question I hope to answer this month. The water temperatures at Garbage Beach dropped to 29f in February. That dive day was very short for me.

There are a couple of books you might like to check out. Here is a link to a page with the books:

http://www.scuba-newengland.com/Books.asp

DSDO

Alan

 

[large_diver]

Stupid question -- what does MBL stand for?

Alan -- Chris tells me you'll be joining us on Saturday -- excellent.

 

[adshepard]

Stupid question -- what does MBL stand for?

Alan -- Chris tells me you'll be joining us on Saturday -- excellent.

MBL = Marine Biological Laboratory

If I don't have to work I'll be there.

DSDO

Alan

 

[reefseal]

Alan,

Was driving through Woods hole yesterday and wanted to check out Garbage beach which you and others talk a lot about. I found a very small beach. (near MBL) and wondered if this was it. There was a small pier to left and Rocks to right
Also to left, was dock where the Ocean quest boat docks. (which kids love to go on)

If this is in fact the beach you dive from, do you go in on right side of beach and follow along rock wall/jetty?

Also, does it drop down fast? Just curious how far out you go to get to any depth. What is depth?

Regards,

Luis