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FALL 2011
Another of my favorite dives was on an immense pinnacle known for its hydrocoral gardens.
Descending the anchor line through milky green opacity, the visibility increased to about 50 feet
just below the plankton layer, and a huge field of plumose anemone decorated the boulder-strewn
apex further than the eye could see. At a depth of 60 feet or more, we couldn’t spend the time the
site merits, but even a cursory glance reveals diverse and abundant crab and invertebrate life along
what little bare rock exists. The real majesty of the dive, though, is the vast wide-angle scenic of the
whites against emerald green.
From there we made the very long steam south to dive
Wooden Island
, my favorite dive frommy
trip to Alaska seven years earlier. It was one site that remained strong in my memory. I described it then:
People talk about the macro photography at Cannibal Rock in the Komodo Islands, or Milne Bay
in Papua New Guinea, or even the obscure critters in Indonesia; but the reality is I have never seen
a greater proliferation or concentration of macro creatures anywhere in tropical waters. Bizarre
anemone, sponge and filter feeders of all description covered every millimeter of rock face. Amid this
pulsating carpet of vibrant hue we found a huge variety of nudibranchs, sculpins, barnacles and
crustaceans. It would take me several hours at the fish ID book just to realize what I’d seen on this
dive, so I remain content to know it was colorful and beautiful. Regrettably, we get only one dive here
at slack tide, for this is surely worth a repeat!
To a great extent, this trip was about facilitating that repeat dive, so it was with some disappointment
Above: The red Irish
lord (Hemilepidotus
hemilepidotus) is a
common but photogenic
species found
throughout cold-water
regions, including
southeast Alaska.
Opposite, clockwise
from top: A diver
observes the extensive
plumose anemone
decoration on the
SS Princess Sophia;
kayaking amid the field
of ice at Tracy Arm
glacier; a harbor seal
rests on a bergy bit
of ice.
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