West Coast Shootout #3 10 Mile Point

The third installment of Pacific Marine Imaging’s monthly photo extravaganza took place at one of the most popular shore diving locations on Southern Vancouver Island. We all met at Ten Mile Point in the hopes of finding some octopus and exploring areas away from the main wall that are not usually accessible due to the strong currents. The slack on Sunday was almost two hours long, which would give us a large window of opportunity to dive and explore these areas.

When we arrived, we found that the weather conditions were just as favourable as the currents. However, once we descended, the visibility was definitely not a refection of what was happening on the surface! The deeper we dropped, the darker it became, and by the time we reached the base of the wall it was as dark a night dive with the particulate clouding the visibility to only about ten feet. This created some challenging shooting conditions except for those photographers with macro lenses. Most of us stuck close to the wall while one group ventured off to take advantage of the slack and get some images of whatever may be lurking in the darkness.

As I swam along the base of the wall, it was apparent that even in the darkness this area was teeming with life.  We could definitely tell that it is spring time on the west coast: nudibranchs and snails are laying eggs, while Cabazons and lingcod stand guard protecting their clutches against all that intrude.  Just hatched tiny rockfish dart about fearful of what seems to be even their own shadow. The way that the current feeds this area with nutrients allows for a plethora of creatures to thrive and provides lucky divers like ourselves with the chance to enjoy the greatness of their world. Although this shootout didn’t provide me with the best of photographic opportunities due to the fact that I was shooting with my wide angle lens (macro would have been a much better choice), it did give me some time to reflect on how wonderful our marine areas are and why I am so passionate about protecting and cherishing them. I only managed to capture a few images in the end, but the day was well worth it: diving with friends and remembering why I love the ocean so much.

Thank you to everyone who came out and I am looking forward to the next shootout in April.

Scott

     

Adventure #3

Ten Mile Point, Victoria BC

 

Date: Sunday March 27, 2011

Time: 8:30 am

Ten Mile Point is one of the best shore diving sites on Southern Vancouver Island. The tidal exchanges and current flow provide an adundance of food for the amazing amount of marine life that inhabits this area. The tidal exchange is favourable on March 27^th and should be an excellent day to dive this site. Thank you to everyone who came out for the last two shootouts and I am really looking forward to this one.

Read more at www.8arm.com

Off the Beaten Path

It was time for something new, a different challenge and a different dive site. Over the last month I have been searching everywhere for Stubby Squid eggs. Since my wonderful encounter last month at the Ogden Point Breakwater, these little critter’s eggs have been on my ‘must photograph list’. Chris and I decided to take a trip up to Maple Bay. This little town West of Duncan is right on the water and directly across from Salt Spring Island. Chris had driven through the area a number of months back and had seen a beach access that might lead to a good dive site. The entrance to the water was at the end of a very steep, moss-covered road, and the trek with dive gear on our back was definitely not for the faint of heart! Once we reached the water and dropped down, the bottom was a sheer drop off far beyond diveable depths. We were only 20 ft. (7 m.) from shore and swimming in about 95 ft. (30 m.) of water. The wall was on a 70⁰ slope and covered with crushed shells and sediment. The marine life was pretty sparse for most of the dive, and the majority of the life consisted of brittle stars, Black-eyed Goby’s, and a few Plumose Anemones. We did manage to find two Lingcod guarding clutches of eggs, however the rockfish population was almost zero. The highlight of this dive was the Stubby Squid eggs we discovered stuck to the underside of a rock. The eggs resembled little white Hershey’s Kisses and were still opaque so I was not able to see the size of the baby squids inside. I was using my wide-angle lens on the dive and did my best to capture a few images of these eggs and where they were nestled.

It was great to explore a new dive site and to find something that has been on my list to photograph for a long time. I hope to return to this site in the near future to try and photograph the squid as they hatch.

Scott

read more about Pacific Marine Imaging at www.8arm.com

Ogden Point at Night

I hooked up with a bunch of divers from Frank Whites Dive Shop for a night dive at the Ogden Point Breakwater. Ken, Chris, and I wanted to meet some new divers and hang out with some old friends. I have a long-standing relationship with the people from Frank Whites, and it’s where way back thousands of dive ago, I received my PADI Open Water Certificate and began my underwater adventures. Our goal on this dive was to get some images of Stubby Squid, but for me I also wanted to get another dive in on my Fusion Drysuit and the Si-Tech Neck Tite system I’m testing. The conditions on this evening were great: calm seas and good visibility. The only difficulty was the tide, as it was out quite far out, and anyone who has dove the breakwater at low tide knows that it can be hard on people and even harder on gear! We walked out to flag 2 and descended down to the sandy bottom. The soft sand around this area and beyond along the breakwater is the best place to find the Stubby Squid. It didn’t take long to find three of these creatures, each about the size of a pea. After spending some time capturing images of them, we moved on down the breakwater and came across a fourth pea sized squid along with one the size of a golf ball. What an amazing find! I give all the credit to Ken who spotted the big one while I had my lens trained on a juvenile Black Rockfish. Having the unprecedented opportunity to get some images of such a large Stubby Squid was truly a memorable experience.

During this dive I was also able to get some images of a number of other inhabitants of the breakwater, including a Red Irish Lord with a parasite on its eye, Grunt and Sailfin Sculpins, and of course the Disheveled Sea-mouse. This was a spectacular dive and one that I will not soon forget. Thank you to everyone from Frank Whites plus Ken and Chris for being awesome spotters and holding their lights just right so I could get some fantastic images.

Scott

  

West Coast Shootout #1 – Madrona Point Part 2

The second dive of the day for the West Coast Shootout, we hopped in at the small wall. This wall is located to the left of the beach, and the best entrance is down a small ravine that leads to the water. This wall runs parallel to the beach and is quite shallow (maximum 40 ft/ 12 m), however the life is incredible. The rocks that jut out of the sand are covered in anemones, sea stars and macro life. The wall is also undercut, providing a sanctuary for many juvenile fish and is a great place to find Bay Pipefish, which are relatives to the seahorse. On previous dives I have seen hundreds of these elusive creatures in one area. There are also a number of shallow octopus dens scattered along the length of this wall. On this particular dive, we managed to find 4 octopus on the wall and I was able to get some great images of one large octo hunkered down in its den. I decided to shoot macro on this dive hoping that I would get some images of a pipefish along with some of the different nudibranch species that reside on this small wall. I was not disappointed: not only did I find a pipefish, but I also managed to shoot a large octopus in its den. This particular octopus was quite large (5-6 ft /2 m) across and was hiding under a slab of rock. To be able to get a good shot I had to remove my strobes from my housing and place them off camera to generate the light that I needed. I also placed my spotting light off camera, which allowed me to see, and my camera to focus. The images turned out quite well showing that sometimes you have to think outside of the box to get the shot you want.

I would like to thank everyone who came out for this first shootout, and I’m looking forward to the rest of the year!

Scott

   

Part 1 of the Madrona Point Blog link

A little taste from last night's shoot - Stubby Squid

I was out with a bunch of people for a night dive last night at the Ogden Point Breakwater. Great dive, lots of life, and of course found some Stubby Squid. 

More pictures to follow.

Scott

  

A drift in something new

It’s been a few days since being in the water and the plan was to test my Fusion with the Si-Tech Neck Tite system, and to do some macro shooting at 10 Mile Point. My focus was to get some shots of a couple of different nudibranch species that are commonly found at 10 Mile, as well as maybe catching a glimpse of an octopus or two.  The visibility once we entered the water was low, only about 15-20 ft. (5-7 m.), and as we descended the visibility only got worse. The wall as usual was covered in life, once again confirming my opinion that this place is one of the best shore diving sites on southern Vancouver Island.  Even through the limited light and particulate, the base of the wall was clouded with juvenile rockfish along with a multitude of various shrimp species. By the end of the dive, I had not really photographed anything due to the current, and we had drifted around the corner into the small bay. To my surprise in the shallows of the small bay, we found two beautiful Shag-rug Nudibranchs and a Decorated War Bonnet. Pretty awesome for a dive that didn’t show a lot of promise till the end.

Scott 
 

  

10 Mile Point dive site - link

Sanctuaries and Biodiversity Part 2

On Sunday we headed out to UBC to check out the new Beaty Biodiversity Museum. The museum had contacted me late last year, and asked if I would be willing to provide them with some images for their exhibits. I was honoured and thrilled that they would ask me to help. The museum itself is located in the middle of UBC and is built under ground. The biological collections that make up the exhibits of the Beaty Biodiversity Museum were each started by different collectors, some as early as the 1910s. Over the decades, myriad researchers added to the collections, which has now grown to contain over 2 million specimens. The fish collection that my images are a part of is the third largest fish collection in Canada, containing over 800,000 alcohol-stored whole fishes, cleared and stained specimens that reveal internal bony structure, skeletal preparations, and X-ray images. The museum is also home to a fully intact and restored Blue Whale Skeleton, which was constructed here in Victoria. This is a truly magnificent museum and worth spending the time to see.

Scott

  

  

Sanctuaries and Biodiversity Part 1

I headed over to Vancouver this past weekend to check out the dive expo that was taking place at the Vancouver Aquarium, and to visit the new Beaty Biodiversity Museum at UBC.

On the Saturday, Kelli, Ken, and I went to the aquarium to check out the dive expo, but the real reason for the visit was to meet up with some old friends and possibly make some new ones. My goal was to talk with some of the photographers I knew and to meet with Dr. Chris Harvey Clark concerning his new project: the Marine Life Sanctuaries Society. Chris and Roy Mulder have created this initiative to help build awareness and to preserve areas around the coast of BC. I really believe in this project and would love to see more and more people get involved. If your interested in this great cause please click on the link below and contact Chris or Roy.

One of the coolest things at the aquarium was the 4D Planet Earth theatre experience. If you have never been to an interactive 4D film, definitely put it on your list of things to do.

Our evening after the expo was filled with good food, good drinks, and I was able to begin laying the groundwork for adventures in 2011.

Scott

All about the Squid

For our friend Mark’s last dive before he made his way back to England, we decided to head to Deep Cove. We had been hearing from other divers that they had seen Opalescent Squid there along with other areas in Saanich Inlet. These creatures are something that I’ve wanted to photograph for a while and was really hoping to see some on this particular dive.

Deep Cove is a popular dive site for many people because of the barge that is sunk in the marina.  This wreck is great for training and is a haven for rockfish, and is actually one of the best spots to photograph Brown Rockfish. These curious little fish blanket the whole area around the wreck, along with a multitude of other rockfish species, nudibranchs and invertebrates.

Mark and I had planned however, to bypass the wreck, and instead enter the water facing into Saanich Inlet since that is where the reports of the squid had been seen. Similar to our dive at Henderson Point, the visibility was quite low and there was a mild current flow down into the inlet. We swam out from the point hoping that the visibility would clear up as we ventured further out, but this was not the case at all, it was actually getting worse. However, much to my delight around the 30 ft. (10 m.) mark we came across a clutch of Opalescent Squid eggs! I only managed to capture a few images before the current picked up and dropped the visibility to almost nothing. We decided to cut the dive short and headed in realizing that we could barely see each other let alone a squid that might swim by. Hopefully I will be able to head out again soon to the Inlet to catch a glimpse of this elusive creature.

Scott

Neck Seal Test

Whites Manufacturing has asked me to take part in a diving trial to test out the new replaceable neck seal system from Si-Tech. This new system will help to make ripping a neck seal more of an inconvenience than the end to a day of diving. The system has been installed on my Fusion Dry suit and I will be blogging about my dives with this neck seal system and how it works. I have to admit that I’m pretty excited about to try out this new system soon!

Scott

Clover Point Dive

Diving at Clover Point has always been a favorite of mine as the site is home to a whole host of marine life. The area inside the bay is quite shallow and easily accessible to divers, and as a photographer the macro life is extraordinary. Diving here allows you to photograph several sculpin species, nudibranchs, sea pens, and stalked jellies.

On this particular day I was on the hunt for sculpins and gunnels, as the last few dives I had made at Clover Point had produced some great images of these diminutive fish. We all headed out from the boat launch and dropped over the small reef past the remnants of last summer’s kelp forest. The visibility was low, only about 15 ft. (5 m.), but this didn’t hinder my ability to shoot macro. About half way through the dive I came across three Scalyhead Sculpins darting in and out of the rocks. This aggressive behavior allowed me to capture some of the best images I have been able to collect of this species, even producing the image of one sinking its bright pink teeth into another! This helped me to see that you can be the best photographer you can be, but it is still helpful to have luck on your side!

Scott

Clover Point dive site information - link

West Coast Shootout #12 - 2010 Finale

The plan for the final West Coast Shootout of 2010 was to dive Saanich Inlet with Pinnacle Scuba Adventures. One dive was to be at Sananus Island and the second was planned for Repulse Rock (The White Lady). The day began with the remnants of the torrential down-pour from the previous day breaking, and all that was left was the fresh water runoff clouding the surface of the water with a thick brown cast so bad that a number of the divers on board were very skeptical of how the dives were going to turn out. These condition did not discourage me because of all of my previous dives in Saanich Inlet, the water colour on the surface is not a good indication of what the visibility is below and I wanted to push on. Sananus Island is an amazing dive site: this small island just north of Brentwood Bay is one of the only places on Southern Vancouver Island to have cloud sponges accessible at recreational limits making it a great spot for all divers including tech divers and underwater photographers.

As everyone returned from the first dive they were ecstatic about the cloud sponges, but most importantly how great the visibility was once everyone descended below the initial 15 ft (3 m.) of brown fresh water. The water at this depth completely cleared up and visibility was around 50 – 60 ft. (17-20 m.)! We then motored towards our second dive destination, Repulse Rock, but the wind began to pick up as we got closer to the dive site to the point where we were unable to dive safely. The consensus with the group was to dive McCurdy Point, which was much more protected from the nasty weather. The topography as we approached the site according to the sounder looked very favorable for the divers. Everyone returned even more excited from this dive than the one at Sananus Island: the life and visibility they reported was beautiful and everyone wanted to return to both locations to spend more time exploring on a future trip.

Everyone on board was so pleased with the day of diving and this was a great conclusion to 2010′s West Coast Shootouts.

Scott


 
Additional images from West Coast Shootout #12 link

The Ogden Point Reef Ball Project featured in the Time Colonist.

The Victoria Times Colonist in conjunction with UVic knowEDGE will be featuring a story about Valerie Mucciarelli and the Ogden Point Reef Ball Project at the Ogden Point Breakwater. The December 26, 2010 issue will feature the story written by Peigi McGillivray with underwater images from Scott Stevenson of Pacific Marine Imaging.

Whites Fusion Drysuit Photo shoot

Here are some of the images from the photo shoot I did with Whites Manufacturing back in September. These suits made their debut at DEMA 2010 and now that Whites are going to be selling them to the public in the new year I am able to post some images from that shoot.

Scott

Addition Images