I enjoyed a couple of nice leisurely dives today at Sund Rock Marine Preserve on Hood Canal.  I like diving this particular site for a number of reason... but mostly to visit the wolf eels.  Some of the old geezers have faces only a mother could love - think of a cute fish gone "hulk"! I've even named a couple of them for fun and try to find them every dive. I often wonder if they recognize me (the purple should give me away).  I doubt it.. I'm sure I'm just another bubble blower passing by.  Yep, I know it's kind of silly, a grown women naming fish like they are pets... they do remind me of puppy dogs.  Hey, it's cheap entertainment!  

Aside from the wolfies, there was lots of little stuff to photograph today from anemones, sea star, tube worms and a little grunt sculpin. Above me were large schools of perch and rock fish enjoying a little ambient light while the sun poke it's head out for a brief moment. I tried to work on different lighting techniques today - it was all experimental (that means I failed miserably at what I was trying - thank goodness for digital images). 

Couple of chilly dives, especially shallow, as you could see the layer of snow melt on the surface of the water.  It messed with visibility a bit but I'll take 20' any day.

Enjoy the beauty from Hood Canal!

Fields of painted anemones and a sheer wall full of cloud and chimney sponge... a divers delight!  That is what you will find up on the Sunshine Coast... even when it snows.  While some folks head south for the winter to get warm, others find there way north to Canada for fabulous winter diving. A small club outing took me north over the long weekend to find adventure in Egmont, BC. There I stayed at Strong Water Retreat with Porpoise Bay Charters.  Kal and Ann were fantastic!  The yurts were warm and comfortable and the underwater topography spectacular!  Fish were few and far between - I'm guessing they are smarter than us bubble blowers and headed south for the winter as the water was definitely cold! I heard temperatures between 42°-46° depending on the underwater computer... at least I didn't have to break ice before I jumped in.  
My two favorite sites were Boom Islets and Powerline.  Boom Islet sits in the middle of the Skookumchuck Narrows right by the world famous Sechelt Rapids with currents running upwards of 17 knots.  Some lay claim they are the fastest in the world.  Hard to imagine diving there after watching some of the YouTube videos but none the less I did!  All those nutrients flowing through the channel make for colorful fields of painted anemones.  
My next favorite was Powerline with it's sheer walls full of cloud and chimney sponge putting the measly four I've seen in Hood Canal to shame.  
While the fish were few and far between I definitely saw unique species I don't often get to see like Yellow Eye and Tiger Rockfish.  Not to mention numerous little Candy Stripe Shrimp to top it off...sweet!
​Hard to end a dive, let alone end the trip.  If you ever get a chance to dive the breathtaking waters, do so - it is worth the chill!  

Cool thing happened yesterday... all the neighbors were out shoveling their drives, when without coordination we just joined forces and helped some of our more elderly neighbors by clearing their drives, and then we did the sidewalk around the block.  It's always nice to see neighbors - acting neighborly; humans - acting human.  I still believe it can be a kind world.

Between snow storms this morning, I carefully walked about and enjoyed some brisk beauty.  Harsh sunlight on bright white snow - now there is a challenge!  We don't get to see snow all that often - but sounds like we'll be seeing plenty in the next few days.

Had I had confidence in our roads being clear to drive (and didn't need to clear my driveway), I think it would have been super fun to dive in the snow.  I might still get my chance...

Enjoy!
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