Barkley Sound Trip Report and Pics Part 1

[Darnold9999]

WOW

This was the best local trip I have done so far. The weather cooperated, the views and life above and below were amazing.

Ferry across to Naniamo and a check out/get aquainted dive at Madrona. Went swimming out looking for the "wall". Never did find it, but did find a field of Nudibranchs - literally millions of them, one every few inches on the sand/silt/mud. All small all about the same size. Got the weighting down with the new steel tank and pony, found a rock wall in the shallows that had lots to see. All in all a good shore dive.

Drove to Port Alberni stopping at Cathedral Grove for a walk. A lot of the really large trees have blown down, but it is still a special place. 800 year old giant Douglas Firs.

On to Port Albernie to stop for dinner before boarding the Boat to Rendezvous. Friday afternoon, 3:00 a beer on the deck overlooking the water in the sunshine. Does it get any better?

2 Hour boat ride down the inlet - mountians on either side - sun setting in front, eagles, herons, seagulls and sea lions were spotted on this leg of the trip. Great start to the weekend.

No need to get up early to make slack, the tides on the outer coast are not like some of the spots on the Gulf Islands. Left for the first dive of the day after breakfast. A group of sea lions is gathered a couple of hundred yards off the dock just hanging out. The sea is like glass so Peter decides to take us out to the edge of the sound. The first dive is the Vanlene a 1972 wreck of a freighter that missed the entrance to the sound.

We decide to hang back and let others gear up as the deck is a bit crowded with 11 divers. Glad we do, just about to jump in when a humpback whale surfaces a 100 yards or so away. Small whale about 20 feet long, that spends the rest of the weekend in and about the sound.

We jump in and it is just amazing. Life everywhere. Rockfish of every size and type, nudi's, my personal favorite Purple Ring Top snails, huge anenome's of every colour you can imagine. The visability was great 30 to 60 feet pretty much the whole weekend.

This is the first dive site - next land Japan

http://www.daconsulting.bc.ca/Dive/BarkleyFirstDive.JPG

My first rockfish photo of the weekend. China Rockfish.

http://www.daconsulting.bc.ca/Dive/BarkleyChinaRockFish.JPG

My first of many Purple Ring Top Snail's

http://www.daconsulting.bc.ca/Dive/BarkleyTopSnail.JPG

 

[Darnold9999]

Second dive was not as nice as the first. Could see why this dive is only done when the sea is calm. Christie Reef sits out in the open at the entrance to the sound - wide open to the Pacific. Lots of surge and currents. We went around the rock and were always in some sort of current or surge. Could not hold my place long enough to get much in the way of pics, but the life on this rock was enourmous. Mussles and barnacles larger than anything I have ever seen. Starfish, black tube worms, urchins sea cucumber etc. etc. the colours were simple amazing.

Starfish and Hermit crab - one of my favorite pics of the trip

http://www.daconsulting.bc.ca/Dive/BarkelyBlueStarCrab.JPG

Back to the lodge for an evening in the hot tub, hanging out. 4 hours on a boat in the sunshine with 2 dives has pretty much wiped everyone out - no night dive tonight slept very very well.

Next day is Renate's Reef. You want wolf eels, we found four on this dive - at least the group did - we only found two. Others found octopus, we missed them. Lots of nudi's, more anenome's, probably my favorite site of the weekend, the variety was endless, could easily have done a second dive on this reef. Wish we did as the next site was just OK.

This Nudi was my keeper from this dive:

http://www.daconsulting.bc.ca/Dive/BarkleyNudi.JPG

The night dive was a quest. Paul wanted to find a tri colour nudi. Begining of the dive was a gong show. One of us got tangled in fishing line, getting him untangles stirred up the bottom big time, one had to go back up and sort out lights, I ended up spending 5 minutes figuring out how to work camera, lights and BC - a three hand job with only two hands. We did settle down and found a baby octo on the bottom under the dock - and near the end of the dive we found the nudi's we were looking for. Not the best pics however, they were very small and in shifting kelp - but we found them! Large crabs were out in force.

The last day was a macro photographer's dream - small cool critters everywhere. Saw my first grunt sculpin! Also saw a sea lion go by at warp speed. No chance for a picture.

I call this an eelfish - I am sure it has a real name:
http://www.daconsulting.bc.ca/Dive/BarkleyEelFish.JPG

A sensual pic
http://www.daconsulting.bc.ca/Dive/BarkleyAnenome.JPG

Two pics of the elusive tri colour nudi posing against another top snail:

http://www.daconsulting.bc.ca/Dive/BarkleyNudiandTopSnail.JPG

http://www.daconsulting.bc.ca/Dive/BarkleyNudiandTopSnail2.JPG

Clown Nudi:

http://www.daconsulting.bc.ca/Dive/BarkleyNudiClown.JPG

This was last dive last day, the same whale that was on the first dive first day came by to see us off. Swam over top of the dive site we just came back from. 30 minutes sooner we would have all been in the water.

http://www.daconsulting.bc.ca/Dive/BarkleyWhaleDivesite.JPG

And a final picture of the lodge:

http://www.daconsulting.bc.ca/Dive/BarkleyLodge.JPG

All in all an excellent dive trip, couldn't recommend the trip more. The food was very good, love the orange muffins. Facilities a bit spartan, but you are in the middle of nowhere, generating your own power so ... The boat is getting a bit long in the tooth, but a very serviceable dive boat. Love the ladder getting back on. Nitrox if you want it. Argon as well. Kyaks were available, but I never did get out on them. Was always too interested in what was on the camera!

Power is a bit limited so don't bring a hair dryer, They could use a drying room for gear, am told it is in the works. The hot tub is excellent and the sunsets can't be beat.

 

[scubandrea]

Great Story! Really enjoyed reading it and your pic's are excellent!

 

[jeckyll]

Awesome

Looks like a very cool trip!

 

[Darnold9999]

Was an excellent trip, will do it again for sure. Exceeded my expectations re the diving. The only down side is that it makes the local diving a bit boring re stuff to see.

 

[jviehe]

Nice report. Great pics.

 

[Lightning Fish]

Excellent. Good pics and I enjoyed the report.

Bill.

 

[TSandM]

Beautiful photographs, particularly the rockfish. I'd love to see one of those!

Your first picture looks a whole lot like where we were diving last Thursday. The Pacific Northwest is just so beautiful.

 

[Darnold9999]

Beautiful photographs, particularly the rockfish. I'd love to see one of those!

Your first picture looks a whole lot like where we were diving last Thursday. The Pacific Northwest is just so beautiful.

When the sun is out can't think of a reason to be anywhere else! When its raining and has been for the past month - not so much.

Re rockfish, they were everywhere, more kinds than I have ever seen anywhere else. The China Rockfish has such great colour I had to include it. Did not get a great Tiger or I would have added one of those. Just got a couple of "from behind" shots of them.

Anybody know what the "eelfish" is?

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Great pics ... I love Rendezvous! Haven't been up there in 3 years ... time for a return trip.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)