Port Hardy Trip Report Sept 2-6th/2010

[StuartT]

So 10 of us spent 5 days 4 nights at Browning Pass Hideaway earlier this month. Most of us got 13 great dives in on the trip. We dove Browning wall twice, North wall twice, Crocker rock(Themis wreck) twice, rock of life, eagle rock, husar point, 7 tree island and a couple of sites just outside the cove where the lodge is. The colors and life are stunning. We saw Giant pacific octous, huge puget sound king crabs, red irish lords, decorator warbonnets, ratfish, grunt sculpins, candy stripe shrimp, greenlings, wolf eels, soft coral, finger sponge, anenomies, all kinds of nudis, and walls and underwater pinnacles that were so covered in life you couldn't see rock. Just life on life. I'll try and post a few pics here. Never done it before so here goes.

 

[StuartT]

Maybe someone from the trip can post more pictures. I have 20 or 30 decent shots but challenged on how to put them up in large format. Todd (bradner boy), and Kyle (corona1984) have copies of my pics maybe they could post some. Also Mike (big hiller) where are the hd videos?

 

[DaleC]

I've seen them and they're great photos. Glad you guys had a good time but try to understand if I turn a little green when you tell me the stories (over and over for the next six months). BTW, I had a great time in school while you were away

 

[rob1967]

Yup, we had a great time in Port Hardy. Thanks to Stuart for organizing everything! We had a great time. I am not really familiar with posting pics on this site, the process is a bit cumbersome, but I will do my best:

Here is a giant pacific octopus we spotted on a night dive:




Here is a side view:



A Red Irish Lord hiding on yellow coral:



A juvenile wolf eel:


a puget sound king crab:

 

[rob1967]

OK, now that I have the hang of this, I will post a few more. Queries, comments, criticisms are welcome!

Here we are heading out of the hideaway for another fabulous day of diving!



A wolf eel hiding in his den:



Sorry BradnerBoy, another red irish lord! But they are kinda photogenic!



Here is a cute little GPO trying to look like a white plumose anemone! Nice try!



Oops, another red irish lord:




A scaled crab. I have only ever seen these guys on night dives. I think they are always on the white plumose anemones.



a wolf eel (I tihnk same one Stuart photographed):



Two cute hermit crabs on red sponge:



red irish lord:

 

[rob1967]

A buffalo sculpin. We were surprised by the unusual green colour, but I had a look in a fish ID book, and it definitely is a buffalo sculpin!



red-eye medusa:




decorated warbonnet:

we saw tons of these, but they are hard to photograph!

 

[mpgunner]

Great report. I'm going to have to get up there.

 

[cooldives]

Nice pictures - thanks for posting.

 

[Mike Boswell]

Very cool pictures, thanks for sharing. I need to go there soon - in my 7-mil wetsuit. What were the water temps?

 

[akirawut]

Dinner never looked to good.