Mount Chetron and VT3 with Beachhopper II. Post retirement dive #893 , 894 August 16, 2024

I went out on Beachhopper II for two dives yesterday, Guy had to cancel because he needed to get his neck seal replaced on his drysuit before our September 6-12 dive trip to God's Pocket in British Columbia. The water temperature was a warmer than usual 56 degrees there was a heavy surface plankton bloom so it was very dark below. Visibility was only 15 ft. This site has excellent fish population. Several of the divers enjoyed an encounter with a Wolf Eel but I missed it....Below are some of my photos from the dive, to see more, please go to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/1yYMwTTTYyu84veJ6 A Kelp Rockfish with White Metridium (Plumrose Anemone) that are common on the site, below:

Below: Copper Rockish with a Tube Anemone

A beautiful Sand-Rose Anemone, below:

Tube Anemones, below:

Treefish, a type of rockfish, have amazing red lips. Below:

Carol pointed out a large Cabezon, my favorite local diving subject, on the ledge above the Treefish I was photographing. Below:

There were also several Lingcod and a number of Blue Rockfish on this site. Below:

My computer warned me that I was down to 4 minutes of non decompression dive (I spent most of the dive at 75-81 ft) so I headed up the anchor line for my 3 minute safety stop. Our next dive was at VT3. It's a bit shallower, around 45-50 ft, visibility was limited again, about 15 ft. Below are some photos from this dive. A few more are at: https://photos.app.goo.gl/6EhdqX8b7VNBJfiB6 Below: A Copper Rockfish face followed by a Rainbow Nudibranch

Below: A Spiny Sand Star followed by a Gopher Rockfish

Tube Anemones are the favorite prey of Rainbow Nudibranchs. Below:

Below: I saw an amorous pair of Gopher or possibly Copper, Rockfish. In the photo below the one on the left has shifted to his or her dark phase of color.

In a couple of weeks Donna and I will start our drive up to Oregon and Washington, visiting friends along the way. She'll fly home, I'll drive on to Port Hardy at the north end of Vancouver Island for6. pickup and transfer to God's Pocket on September 6, don't know if I'll get out for any more local dives before then.