Wolf Eel

[Araistar]

Hello...as you can see I am new here, I have been lurking, but with not much to add I just read. Anyway, I am heading to Victoria next week to dive there for the second time (already had 4 dives in Sidney, Arbutus Is and Isabella Pt) I have dove Cozumel before and some stuff by Play Del Carmen but not much cold water yet. I would really like to see some wolf eels though, where do I need to go around Sidney to see them? Maybe I am just not looking hard enough yet either, I saw an octopus at Arbutus but it was way in the den so I couldn't see much. I am really green at this still as I only have about 12 dives so far so I am still trying to get the buoyancy in cold water thing under control...it's a lot different from Mexico that's for sure! Anyway sorry for the long post...

I am originally from Sooke (21 years) so I am familiar with the lower Island.

 

[cjfox]

A sure bet is to go with someone who knows where to find them at the breakwater. It's a long walk out past #4 then decend to 50' and swim back until you see a railway rail and a large rectagular block, then you are right at the dens. It helps to bring a snack, although I know some people frown upon cracking open a sea urchin for them.

 

[r2t]

I second ogden point. the wolf eels are very friendly.

 

[deepdiverbc]

Another vote for Ogden Point.

I had a pretty cool experience there. I found a large male free swimming and ended up following him into some thick kelp. He disappeared but left the tip of his tail sticking a few inches out of the kelp. I stopped about two feet away from the tip of his tail wondering what to do next when I sensed something to my left. I turned my head and found that he had circled back through the kelp while I was watching his tail and was now only a foot or two from my ear. Lucky for me he was only playing with me. I took this photo after the game was over.

 

[VooDooGasMan]

Also check some charters out, theres lots of wolfell in victoria. Being only 12 dives and issues hire a guide or the divemaster on the boat to show you around, tell you how to overcome some problems. Doing a couple of dives guided is a blessing in disguise.

Or you could call ogden point dive shop for a guide.

good luck have fun.

 

[Araistar]

Thanks for all the suggestions, I had actually dove with a so called dive master last time and it turned out to be a fairly underwhelming experience (thats as far as I am going to go explaining it because he may be on this board) but I know that one bad experience does not reflect all DM's. I have heard lots of good stuff about the breakwater and I hope to get a dive there soon, I absolutely want to go with someone more experienced when I do the breakwater though. I have been there on a weekend and there seems to be no shortage of divers there so maybe I could just tag along with someone then. Another question though totally off topic, does anyone rent dive computers in Victoria? I have phoned Ogden Pt, Frank Whites, and Sidney Dive n Surf and none of them do, I would like to use one if I could but it is fairly low on the list for me to buy...right behind regs and a dry suit...

By the way, nice shot deep diver, it looks like you were actually the one being followed...

 

[MarkH]

I've never seen wolfeels around Sidney, but I haven't done a whole lot of diving up there (most places there require a boat). My favorite spot for them is (as others have mentioned) at Ogden Point. All the ones I know of there are past the second corner at around 50-70 feet deep. On one dive I counted around 10, but 4 or 5 is more common. I noticed that the railroad rail has been moved to just above the second corner den. This time of year the visibility is usually at it's worst on the Juan De Fuca side of Victoria. I usually expect around 10 feet of visibility. The Saanich Inlet side is usually pretty clear, but the wolfeels there are a bit deeper and they usually don't come out of their dens like the Ogden Point ones. The shallowest ones I know of are at 80 feet deep. I'll be in Halifax for a few weeks at that time so I can't help you out.

 

[Skookumchuck]

If you don't like the idea of carrying an urchin around while searching for them r2t will vouch for the fact that they like bananas. Just be ready to get face to face, like in Swank's avatar.