What do you enjoy while out?

[carvendive]

I thought it might be interesting to find out what others like to do with their free time while on their boat and ashore while out cruising.

Of course we like doing the relaxed reading, and going for hikes on the many islands, gourging on crab and shrimp and the like.*
But one of my passions (surprise - carvenDIVE) is that I like Scuba diving and U/W photography.* The San Juans and especially BC have some SPECTACULAR critters under those waves.

I've included a few of my favorites.* I like macro photography -- the small subjects.* The seaslug was "grazing" on some vegitation that was growing on the top of my rudder - that close to me - who'd have guessed it.

Now that I have the bigger boat I'd like to start doing more diving up north.* Neah Bay and Barkley sound have some of the best photo dives.* I just wish I had a closed circuit rebreather so that I didn't have to take along all those tanks

Edit:* Dang, I thought their names would show.* The first one is a Lions Main Jellyfish - DO NOT TOUCH this one if you find one.* The*second is Nudibranch*Eggs.** The third is JanolusFuscus (sea slug).* The forth is a pair of Decorated Warbonnets - one's hiding in the back of the den.*

-- Edited by carvendive on Wednesday 3rd of June 2009 01:02:36 PM

 

[Marin]

Terrific shots. It's not often we get to see the smaller creatures that inhabit this area. If you have or take more, please put them up on the forum.

Question---- at certain times of the year we'll get a lot of Lion's Mane jellyfish on the shores in the San Juans, Gulf Islands, Desolation Sound, etc. Do you know how long the toxins in their tentacles remains potent once the animal is out of the water?

 

[carvendive]

No I don't but as a general rule, if you can recognize that it's part of a lion's main, I'd stay away from it. Worst case is that you'll get stung but should get no repeat stings. In the water they think you're food and you can get stung several times.

ALSO, you would not believe how fast these guys can swim. I watched one feeding that literally chased down a fish. It herded it, got it into a corner and then attacked. The fish was not that fast but these things move fast enough in the water that if it wants something it can cover the distance at (what was to me) an alarming rate.

If you get stung and have no anti-sting agent, I've been told that milk will ease the pain when applied to the sting area.

 

[Marin]

Thanks for the information. We have always made our dog play somewhere else on the beach if we came across a washed-up Lion's Mane--- we will continue to do so.

Speaking of underwater creatures doing unexpected things, I was surprised to learn a few years ago that a major food source for halibut is salmon. We go halibut fishing regularly at the north end of Vancouver Island and I always thought that these bottom dwellers ate other creatures that were down there with them. Which they do, of course. But it seems that halibut also come into the shallower waters at the creek and river mouths when the salmon are returning and chow down on them. Given the size of a big halibut's mouth and the size and amount of its teeth, I can easily understand how they would do this. I just never realized they left their deep-water habitat to go after prey so much closer to the surface or in such shallow water. We typically catch our halibut at depths between 200 and 350 feet where we fish.

 

[Max Simmons]

Hang on the hook, cold Heineken and a good book.