Diving the Browning Pass, British Columbia.

August, 2016.

Browning_Pass_Diving — The Browning Pass. Life is so abundant here that you won’t be able to find enough room to put a finger down to steady yourself.

Colourful plunging walls, pinnacles, thrilling drift dives, abundant life, orcas, whales, and encounters with weird and wonderful animals. Every dive begins with all of the thrill of a treasure hunt. That is enough of a reason to return.

But there’s a second reason. The more you dive it, the more you will see. Let me show you what I mean.

Before the Diving- Grizzly Watching with Tide Rip Tours:

There is so much to see and do in British Columbia that it’s worth tagging on a little extra time before (or after) your dive trip. This time we chose to go Grizzly bear watching with Tide Rip Tours, based out of Telegraph Cove. However, the actual viewing takes place at Glendale Cove, in the Knight Inlet, across the Strait since there’s no established Grizzly populations on Vancouver Island. There you will get a chance to view Grizzlies busily feeding on the low tide “buffet”-particularly salmon if they’re running- in order to double their weight for winter hibernation. At this time of the year it’s all about survival for them, which means eating, about 20 hours of the day!

But it’s more than just a Grizzly tour. Mike, our boat captain, was happy to stop along the way for Humpback Whales, Orcas, and Black bears that were spotted meandering along the coast. Matt, our Naturalist for the tour, give an interesting briefing about the Grizzlies, and his impressive knowledge can take you as far as your interest wants to go.

Tide_Rip_Tours — A Black Bear encounter on the way to Glendale Cove. Note the opalescent colour of the water. The colour comes from the mineral content of the glacial melt water, which floats on top of the saltwater here, due to its lower density. The bear was coming down for a drink. Canon Rebel, 171 mm, iso 3200, f /5.9, 1/640s.

Paralleling so many other types of animals- such as sharks and Manta Rays- bears are worth more alive than dead. Matt tells me that it’s estimated that each bear provides about $250,000 to the local economy through the “trickle-down” effects of ecotourism. On the other hand, a one-time trophy hunt fetches only a relatively meager $10,000-$20,000.

How close can you expect to get to them? This is where you have to have realistic expectations: nature is unpredictable. On a good day I was told that you can get up to within 100-150′. But on a “bad day”, you might get a no-show. We had an in-between experience, with a viewing through binoculars (which is supplied by them). Remember that you’re in a Temperate Rain Forest, so bring your own rain gear for the best sizing!

Diving the Browning Pass:

The Browning Pass was so full of life this year that it appeared to be moving at times. Massive schools of Puget Sound Rock fish, along with other juvenilles, were so thick in some spots that it caused me to lose sight of my dive buddy. And even ruined some photographs. Some divers even accidentally brought them back on board the boat when they became entrapped in their dive gear!

Based on last year’s experience I decided to shoot close-focus-wide-angle with a fish eye lens, to help “cut through” the particulates. Using the highest equivalent exposures, and lightening the background also helped to minimize back scatter.

Diving the Browning Wall. — The Browning Wall, thick with life and colour. The currents that rip through here “force feed” it with nutrients. Note the large Orange Peel Nudibranch at lower left. Can you find the Sculpin staring me down? Give up? Top-third of photo at center. OMD EM1, 8 mm fisheye, Iso 640, f/8, 1/320 s.

Glove sponge, Neoesperiopsis digitata. — A Yellow Tail Rockfish keeps a wary eye on me while resting on a large Glove sponge. This sponge is found on rocky outcrops where the current is greatest. Note the numerous large holes (oscula) where water exits the sponge.

China Rockfish in Browning Pass. — A China Rockfish at “Hunt’s Rock” divesite. It’s a submerged “double-humped” rock that is rarely dived, so it’s pristine. Look for Wolf Eels, Octopus, and Tiger Rock fish here.

diving with female Stellar Sea Lion — A curious female Stellar Sea Lion comes in for a closer look. I wish I could’ve spent more time with her.

Barry’s Island is a good bet to see Stellar Sea Lion’s. It’s walls are also loaded with colourful sponges, corals, and anenomes. Unfortunately the visibility was poor when we arrived, at about 10 feet. Twice we were “buzzed” by a sea lion, but only for only a few seconds at a time.

Wolf Eels can make any dive a great dive. That’s why Fantasy Island (actually a pinnacle) is one of my all time favourite dive sites here, or anywhere. At the base of the pinnacle in about 60-70′ fsw you can reliably meet up with semi-tame Wolf eels, their heads poking out of their dens waiting for something crunchy to pass by. I can’t think of any other fish that has such a distinctly human-like face, and paired with other qualities like intelligence and curiosity. Wolf Eels are really just an elongated fish (up to 8 feet in length) since they have pectoral fins behind their head just as fishes do. The “Wolf” part of their name comes from their belonging to the Wolffish family, possessing prominent wolf-like canines. Look for them hiding in rocky reefs, inside holes, caves or crevices.

Wol Eel with mouth open. — In this photo you can see the Wolf eel’s hard and bony mouth which it uses like a giant “nutcracker” to crush things such as urchins, crabs and clams. Note that the entrance to the den is littered with the shells from previous meals, perhaps even from an Octopus that may have previously occupied the den. Wolf Eels and Octopus niches overlap, which occasionally brings them into conflict. OMD Em1, Iso 500, f/8.0, 1/40s

Wolf Eel and diver. — “What are you looking at?” And I thought their faces couldn’t carry an expression! Cindy noticed from her vantage point that this Wolf eel was actually part of a mated pair, with his shy partner hiding deeper in the den on the other side.

It’s best to have some goals of what you want to see when you dive here, so that you focus your diving, and know where to look. I had three main goals, to find these three eccentrics : a Decorated Warbonnet, a Mosshead, and a Grunt Sculpin. I got two of three checked off on this trip. Once you find one, you’ll be able to find another with much less effort. This is what I meant by “the more you dive it, the more you’ll see”.

Decorated Warbonnet fish, Chirolophis decoratus. — A Decorated Warbonnet on the Wall at “Seven Tree Island” dive site. It gets its name from the prominent “cirri” that you see on the head and gill cover which resembles an Indian chief’s feather warbonnet. The cirri are thought to help it camouflage itself among other invertebrates, like the anenomes seen here. They’re blandish coloured, but their cartoonish appeal more than makes up for it. OMDEm1, 60 mm macro lens, iso 200, f/16, 1/320s.

Grunt sculpin, Rhamphocottus richardsonii. — A Grunt Sculpin, or “Northern Sea Horse” at “Lucan’s Chute” dive site. It looks like an unholy merging between a mouse, a fish and a barnacle (which it can mimic)! Many guidebooks said to look for them in old Barnacle casings. And I did- to frustration! But the only place I found them was in rocky areas, along horizontal ledges. They lack a swim bladder, and crawl along on their fins. But when startled, they can develop a good burst of speed with their tail! They can grow to 3.5 inches. OMDEm1, 60 mm macro lens, iso 200, f/16, 1/320s.

It’s a slow day there if you only see one Humpback whale, sometimes within a hundred feet of you. On several occasions we also saw Orcas, and twice just before we jumped in the water. I couldn’t tell if they were Transient Orcas (which feed on marine mammals) or a local pod (which feed on Salmon). Looking like a big black seal, however, in any case, I was reassured that Orcas avoid divers!

Humpback whale exhaling — A Humpback whale. Note the blowholes, and the mist from an expired breath. Canon Rebel, 120 mm, iso 200, f/8.0, 1/500s.

Mid-evening one night, while I was thinking about bed, came a loud shout outside at the docks from Bill, “Orcas!”. An excited group of the two of us (one of us in pajamas), with Amy (one of the crew at God’s Pocket), rushed to the docks for a better look. I guess the others didn’t hear. Annie kindly suggested that we take out the outboard boat to get a closer look:

Female Orca with juvenille Orca at British Columbia. — Getting a closer look at a pod of Orcas heading out to the ocean, in a light misting rain. Shown here is a female, with a juvenille (a smaller curved fin). They surface and dive in unison, though predicting where is the hard part. Canon Rebel, 300 mm, iso 1600, f/5.6, 1/500s.

Male orca with pod. — The same pod now showing the male Orca. Note the larger and more triangular fin of the male, which may approach 6 feet in height. This is a local Orca pod. Transient Orcas have a more pointed dorsal fin.

The Weird & Wonderful Macrolife of the Browning Pass:

Female Scalyhead Sculpin. — Sculpins are a constant dive buddy, and often bold like this female Scalyhead Sculpin. The males have a tree-like cirri on top of their heads.

British Columbia, and the Browning Pass in particular, are well known for their macrolife. You’ll find it listed as one the top ten macro destinations in the world. The reason for this is that the life there is continually “force fed” nutrient rich water from the currents, which spurs an explosion in the diversity and quantity of life. Macro photographers will be rewarded for taking the cold (50 deg. F), and putting up with some current. The wall this year was filled with tiny crabs of all types, but I noticed that the nudibranchs weren’t as plentiful as last years’. Nudibranchs can be found at any dive site, but I had a lot of good luck at “Hoody Nudi Bay”, named in honour of the “Hooded Nudibranchs” that are found there. Here’s a sample of what I saw, to help show the diversity in not only life, but their amazing colours, forms, and textures:

Diamondback Nudibranch, Tritonia Festiva — The Diamondback Nudibranch (Tritonia Festiva), was the most common nudibranch that I encountered. A pinkish hue, like here, shows the colour of its latest meal .

Frosted Nudibranch, Dirona albolineata — A feeding Frosted Nudibranch (Dirona albolineata), with its appealing “frosted” edges.

Leopard Dorid, Diaulula odonoghuei. — The Leopard Dorid (Diaulula odonoghuei), feeding on a sponge, about 2 cm in length. OMD EM1, 60 mm macro lens, f/16, 1/320 s. As of last month the sandiegensis from Northern California to Alaska has been redesignated as Diaulula odonoghuei. The Southern California to Mexico version remains sandiegensis. Thanks to Phil Garner for this clarification.

Clown Nudibranch, Triopha catalinae. — I can’t think of a better name for this Nudibranch- the Clown Nudibranch (Triopha Catalinae).

Pygmy Rock Crab, Cancer oregonensis. — A Pygmy Rock crab, about 1″ across, gets “photobombed” by a Sculpin.

Red Crescent Gunnel, Pholis laeta. — A Red Crescent Gunnel, staring curiously back at me. I was lucky to find it out in the open like this, and my slow approach didn’t spook it. Found at “Hoody Nudi Bay” dive site. This Gunnel presents several different colour phases to help it blend in with its surroundings. This phenomenon is called “cryptic colouration”.

Red-Trumpet Calcareous, Serpula columbiana. — Red-Trumpet Calcareous Tubeworm that has settled inside of a sponge (they’re “broadcast” spawners). Note the little trumpet-shaped operculum (cover) that functions as a trap door, preventing access to the tube by predators after the worm withdraws.

Graceful decorator crab, Oregonia gracilis. — See it? The face of a Graceful Decorator Crab. Hint: the dark eye is just above center, with two legs in the foreground. This crab decorates itself with surrounding invertebrates to disguise itself. If it is moved to a different area, it will redecorate itself to match its surroundings.

Yellow Hairy Sea Spider, Tanystylum anthomasti. — A tiny Yellow Hairy Sea Spider, about 4 mm in size, maximum size is 1 cm. They seem to have an association with this red soft coral. OMDEM1, 60 mm macro lens +5 diopter, f/16, 1/320 s.

Shortscale Eualid shrimp, Eualus suckleyi. — Looking like something from George Lucas’ imagination, a Shortscale Eualid shrimp stares back at me.

eye of Red Irish Lord fish — Eye of the Irish. Even the eye of the Red Irish Lord (Sculpin family) is camouflaged.

Pink-Tipped Anenome, Anthopleura elegantissima. — Just beautiful. I found this patch of Pink-tipped anenomes on the wall in the surge zone at the “Northwest Passage” dive site, making it a difficult photograph to get.

Tips:

We dove with God’s Pocket Resort, now the only one operating in the area. It’s not just the diving here, but the resort that makes it my favourite diving spot in the world. While in Port Hardy, a trip to the Quatse Salmon Center & Hatchery for a guided tour is well worth the time.

Related Articles:

The Nakwakto Rapids-Dive ino the Guiness Book of World Records.

Diving Into God’s Pocket, British Columbia.

References:

“Coastal Fishes of the Pacific Northwest”, Andy Lamb & Phil Edgell, 2010.

“Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest, Andy Lamb & Bernard Hanby, 2005.

Before the Diving- Grizzly Watching with Tide Rip Tours:

Diving the Browning Pass:

The Weird & Wonderful Macrolife of the Browning Pass:

You Might Also Like

Third Annual Trip to God’s Pocket, British Columbia.

Diving Into God’s Pocket, British Columbia.

Fakarava, French Polynesia (Part 2)- Grouper Spawning.