Vancouver Island, BC - October 2008 Photo Gallery by Connie Bishop at pbase.com

Vancouver Island, BC - October 2008

I traveled to southern Vancouver Island with most of the diving around Victoria. Shore dives at Ogden Point (breakwater), and 10 Mile Point. Boat dives off Sidney (Waine Rock) and Race Rocks. Other dives were by boat out of Bamfield which is on the west coast of the island (access is difficult via logging roads and water taxi).

I found marine life was the best at 10 Mile Point, and at Renate Reef (Bamfield). Race Rocks seems more popular for the sea lion encounters than the marine life (or I just didn't find much!).

Water temp averaged around 50F, visibility ranged from 20-40ft. Depth of the diving averaged around 40-50ft and did not exceed 80ft.

Most of the critters here are accurately identified, but some I'm not certain of and may correct later.

View off Sidney	Blue Branching Seaweed	Clown Dorid Nudibranch	Clown Dorid Nudibranch
Clown Dorid Nudibranch	Hooded Nudibranch	Hooded Nudibranch	Hairy-Spined Crab
Decorator Crab	Decorator Crab	Kelp (?) Crab	Decorator Crab
Decorator Crab	Decorator Crab	Heart Crab	Puget Sound King Crab (Juvenile)
Puget Sound King Crab	Blackeye Goby & White Crowned Burrowing Anemone	Brown (?) Rockfish	Shortscale Eualid (Shrimp)
Shortscale Eualid (Shrimp)	Sidestripe Shrimp	Vermilion Star	Feather Star
Crab & Vermilion Star	Leather Star	Striped Sun Star	Sunflower Star
Sea Star	Giant Sea Cucumber	Giant Sea Cucumber	Tube-Dwelling Anemone
Giant Plumose Anemone	Giant Rose Anemone	Giant Plumose Anemone	Anemone
White-Spotted Rose Anemone	White-Spotted Rose Anemone	Stubby Rose Anemone
Brittle Stars	Rockfish	Yellow-Rimmed Nudibranch	Water Jelly
Lion's Mane	Lingcod	Sea Scallops	Whelk & eggs
Giant Red Dendronotid (Nudibranch)	Frosted Nudibranch	Frosted Nudibranch	Lingcod
Leopard Dorid	Leopard Dorid	Rockfish	Rockfish
Cockerell's Nudibranch (Orange Spotted)	Giant Plumose Anemone	Sponges	Rockfish
Kelp Greenling	Lingcod		Buffalo Sculpin
Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker	Rockfish	Rockfish	Quillback Rockfish
Copper Rockfish	China Rockfish	Canary Rockfish	Sea Scallops
Painted Greenling	Painted Greenling	Orange Zoanthid	Kelp Greenling
Kelp Greenling	Yellow-Rimmed Nudibranch	California (White) Berthella	Hudson's Dorid
Silver Fish & Kelp	Lions Mane in Kelp	Noble Sea Lemon	Shiny Orange Sea Squirt
Hudson's Dorid	Stiff-Footed Sea Cucumber	Stiff-Footed Sea Cucumber	Leopard Dorid
	Sculpin		Three-Lined Nudibranch
Multicolor Dendronotid (Nudibranch)	Hydroid & Nudibranchs	Crabs & Blood Star
		Ostrich-Plume Hydroids	Lace Coral
Leopard Dorid	Wolf Eel	Wolf Eel	Wolf Eel
Wolf Eel	Leopard Dorid
			Freckled Pale Sea Lemon
View from Bamfield	Giant Pacific Octopus (in den)	Orange Sea Pen
Heath's Dorid	White Nudibranch	Sea Lemon Nudibranch	Orange Zoanthid
	Sculpin	Sculpin	Grunt Sculpin
Grunt Sculpin	Nanaimo Nudibranch	Noble Sea Lemon	Sculpin
Scallop covered in Short Plumose Anemones	Scalyhead Sculpin	Pink Branching Hydrocoral	Leopard Dorid
Gunnel	Gunnel	Gunnel	Heath's Dorid
Kelp Crab

comment |

harveywall		25-Apr-2015 18:35
very comprehensive display...great photo work

Stacey Dorner		26-Jun-2009 16:52
Wow, these Vanouver Island pictures are beautiful.

click on thumbnails for full image

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