- Messages
- 98,048
- Reaction score
- 99,607
- Location
- On the Fun Side of Trump's Wall
- # of dives
- 2500 - 4999
Woke up early on Saturday and decided I felt like diving. Hit the road at 6:30 am and drive the 75 miles to Hood Canal, getting there just as the dive shop was opening at 8 am. As usual, I was the first one there and so I got to unlock the chain gate to the dive site. The sun was just coming up over the hills on the east side of the canal as I was gearing up. It was gorgeous, with sun reflecting off a mirror surface interrupted only by the "V" wake of a gannet paddling near shore looking for breakfast. As I shrugged into my rig and headed for the water there was still not another human in sight ... I had the whole place to myself.
Dropped down into a slight current ... it was right near the top of an 8-foot ebb, so I didn't anticipate much for current at all. I was headed down to some cloud sponges that sit between 110 and 120 fsw. Vis was a murky 10 feet or so in the shallows, but opened up nicely once I got below about 40 feet. I swam downslope to 110 fsw and turned south, staying at that depth ... and about three minutes later the first cloud sponge came into view right in front of me. I had come looking for decorated warbonnets ... small fish with fringes on their head who use the sponges for shelter. I found three warbonnets and a spotted sculpin that I've only ever seen before at this site, and at this depth. About 25 minutes into the dive I decided it was time to head back upslope to the bottom of the wall at about 65 fsw. Following the wall south I came to a boulder field where I usually find wolf eels. Yes, there were some there. Continuing south through the boulder field I found a giant Pacific octopus laying outside it's lair, sound asleep - this is a highlight of any dive in the PNW. Careful to keep my light from shining on the animal, I set up my strobes for wide-angle, adjusted my lens down to its 18 mm limit, and crept in for a shot. Usually you only get one, because as soon as the strobes fire the octopus retreats into its den. But this one must've had a heavy meal because it didn't react at all ... I could practically hear it snoring. And so I kept shooting ... a dozen nicely framed shots from various angles and settings. Definitely the highlight of the dive. But it was time to go ... I had by then about a 12 minute deco obligation that I would have to honor on back gas, and it was a good 15 minutes or so back to the cove where I'd want to exit. As I swam back I slowly made my way up from 60 fsw to about 20 fsw ... stopping along the way to take photos. The wall at this depth is covered in plumose anemones ... some of which were spawning ... and the water is thick with rockfish that seem to move just enough to allow for your passage. It was magical. Scanning the nooks and crannies I found several tiny squat lobsters, most of them peering out from their dens, but occasionally finding one out in the open. They're funny little creatures ... jokers of the underrealm with what looks like a bright red smile painted across their face.
Just as I reached the end of the wall, and was preparing to begin my final ascent from 20 feet, I encountered the first of the morning's divers ... the "normal" people who get there at a decent hour ... just swimming downslope to begin their dive. I'd had a nice 65 minutes of solitude, sharing my dive only with the creatures who call the place home ... and now with you. Here's a few pictures ... and this is why I so very much enjoy solo diving ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
Decorated warbonnet peering out from its shelter inside a cloud sponge ...
Spotted sculpin ... an uncommon find ...
One of many wolf eels I found on this dive ...
A sleeping giant ... this one would easily weigh in at over 100 lbs.
An Easter bouquet of tubeworms ...
Spawning anemone ...
Squat lobster ... with its perpetual "smile" ... panning for the camera ...
Dropped down into a slight current ... it was right near the top of an 8-foot ebb, so I didn't anticipate much for current at all. I was headed down to some cloud sponges that sit between 110 and 120 fsw. Vis was a murky 10 feet or so in the shallows, but opened up nicely once I got below about 40 feet. I swam downslope to 110 fsw and turned south, staying at that depth ... and about three minutes later the first cloud sponge came into view right in front of me. I had come looking for decorated warbonnets ... small fish with fringes on their head who use the sponges for shelter. I found three warbonnets and a spotted sculpin that I've only ever seen before at this site, and at this depth. About 25 minutes into the dive I decided it was time to head back upslope to the bottom of the wall at about 65 fsw. Following the wall south I came to a boulder field where I usually find wolf eels. Yes, there were some there. Continuing south through the boulder field I found a giant Pacific octopus laying outside it's lair, sound asleep - this is a highlight of any dive in the PNW. Careful to keep my light from shining on the animal, I set up my strobes for wide-angle, adjusted my lens down to its 18 mm limit, and crept in for a shot. Usually you only get one, because as soon as the strobes fire the octopus retreats into its den. But this one must've had a heavy meal because it didn't react at all ... I could practically hear it snoring. And so I kept shooting ... a dozen nicely framed shots from various angles and settings. Definitely the highlight of the dive. But it was time to go ... I had by then about a 12 minute deco obligation that I would have to honor on back gas, and it was a good 15 minutes or so back to the cove where I'd want to exit. As I swam back I slowly made my way up from 60 fsw to about 20 fsw ... stopping along the way to take photos. The wall at this depth is covered in plumose anemones ... some of which were spawning ... and the water is thick with rockfish that seem to move just enough to allow for your passage. It was magical. Scanning the nooks and crannies I found several tiny squat lobsters, most of them peering out from their dens, but occasionally finding one out in the open. They're funny little creatures ... jokers of the underrealm with what looks like a bright red smile painted across their face.
Just as I reached the end of the wall, and was preparing to begin my final ascent from 20 feet, I encountered the first of the morning's divers ... the "normal" people who get there at a decent hour ... just swimming downslope to begin their dive. I'd had a nice 65 minutes of solitude, sharing my dive only with the creatures who call the place home ... and now with you. Here's a few pictures ... and this is why I so very much enjoy solo diving ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
Decorated warbonnet peering out from its shelter inside a cloud sponge ...
Spotted sculpin ... an uncommon find ...
One of many wolf eels I found on this dive ...
A sleeping giant ... this one would easily weigh in at over 100 lbs.
An Easter bouquet of tubeworms ...
Spawning anemone ...
Squat lobster ... with its perpetual "smile" ... panning for the camera ...
