Speckled sand soles flee across the bottom like miniature magic carpets. Orange sea pens and a variety of sea stars dot the sandy plain. Here it appears more “tropical” than some South Pacific reefs. Marine life is diverse and abundant on Seven Tree’s western side, especially where the bottom shallows out and the rocky substrate changes to powdery white sand. Highlighted with red and pink clumps of soft corals, billowy white Metridium anemones and large elongated dead man’s finger sponges, Seven Tree’s seascape presents an exceptionally scenic backdrop for underwater photography. Along the eastern edge of the islet it is possible to descend deep as the steep wall cascades into the abyss, well beyond safe sport-diving depths. The tiny islet of Seven Tree Island is a remarkable dive site situated on the northwest rim of the pass. Seven Tree Island Resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) reside in local waters year-round. But appearances can be deceiving despite their imposing size, in reality they are shy, intelligent, gentle and harmless creatures. With average weights between 20 to 50 pounds and outstretched arm spans of up to 20 feet, these beguiling cephalopods are indeed behemoths. Just beyond them, a giant Pacific octopus emerged from its rocky den. Finning beyond the kelp’s sheltering canopy, I came across two wolf eels out in the open. Whenever the herring swooped close to the sea floor, several lingcod rocketed skyward with their mouths agape, leaving the water column flaked with silvery scales. As swarms of tiny jellyfish drifted aimlessly around me, I paused briefly over a sandy ravine and marveled as a large herring ball swirled like quicksilver beneath the kelp canopy. Swimming through the kelp forest at Eagle Rock was akin to being in an aquatic cathedral. Ribbons of kelp float like amber fronds through the Emerald Sea, pierced with brilliant shafts of sunlight flickering through the water column. Marine biodiversity experts believe this number could double once the province’s subsea terrain is fully explored. British Columbia harbors approximately 7,000 marine species, or roughly 4 percent of the world’s total. Seasonal upwellings - the movement of deep, nutrient-rich ocean water to the surface, combined with extreme tidal movement - produce an enriched planktonic broth that supports a lush assortment of exotic marine life outstanding in variety and abundance. It’s hard not to agree the constellation of sea life inhabiting Browning Pass is out of this world. John deBoeck, a local dive a operator who pioneered diving in Browning Pass, has proclaimed this waterway as having the best temperate diving in the known universe. There are numerous dive sites within this channel that feature a diverse assortment of subsea terrain and unusual marine life. The water temperature was a balmy 49✯, and I was adrift in underwater photographic bliss.īrowning Pass, a remote current-swept channel off Vancouver Island’s Nigei Island, is one of British Columbia’s diving jewels. Measuring about one foot in length, these bizarre-looking fish rival any to be found at many of the world’s tropical diving hot spots in terms of vibrant coloration and exotic beauty. Skittish by nature, these eel-like fish were named after the prominent cirri crowning their skull, which resembles the feathers of a Plains Indian chief’s war bonnet. My quarry, a decorated warbonnet, peered out from behind some soft coral polyps. A sculpin with kaleidoscope eyes, the red Irish lord (Hemilepidotus hemilepidotus) is an ambush predator who can alter coloration to match surroundings.
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