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Mapping Howe Sound

3/29/2014

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Last weekend I was asked to help out with a film crew who needed footage for two different documentaries on Howe Sound and Sponge Bioherms. 

A Bioherm is:
An
ancient organic reef of moundlike form built by a variety of marine invertebrates, including corals, echinoderms, gastropods, mollusks, and others; fossil calcareous algae are prominent in some bioherms. A structure built by similar organisms that is bedded but not moundlike is called a biostrome. Bioherms and biostromes occur in sedimentary rock strata of all geological ages, providing definitive information on paleoenvironments in the vicinity of their occurrence.  [LINK]. 

For bioherm pics from Howe Sound, see my blog post on the Halkett Bioherm.

In the case of Howe Sound, the bioherm's are silicate forms that are quite complex and there are only 4 that we can reach within recreational dive limits.  
This is why Glen built a drop cam and as you can see by the map to the left, the depth on the reef was at least 250ft.  

One of the reasons that these are so important is that they provide sheltered areas for rockfish nurseries.  The hope is that one day these ancient forms are marine protected areas.

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3D Printing

3/25/2014

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Even though there are some great attachments for cameras out there I needed a custom part!  A friend of mine has a 3D printer at work and I asked him to make me a simple mount for a light on the top of my camera  :) 

However cool this is, 3D printing is apparently 'overhyped' according to an article [LINK] that I found online.  Have a read an imagine the possibilities!

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Celebrating the Mermaid's 25th

3/18/2014

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This past weekend we departed Vancouver to celebrate the sinking of the Mermaid 25 years ago in Powell River.

The weekend kicked off on Saturday with a dive in Saltery Bay Provincial Park with the mermaid sculptor, Simon Morris, and topped off with a dinner at Beach Gardens Resort in Powell River. 

Great Stories were shared, and new friends were made!  What a fabulous event :)

The morning after we had breakfast and then headed over to Octopus Gardens for a final dive.  Even though the dive lacked any octopus...  there were plenty of nudibranches to photograph  :)

More pics found on my flickr feed.
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Off to see the Mermaid!

3/13/2014

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This weekend we are heading up to celebrate the Mermaid's 25th birthday!

Simon Morris, the brilliant man behind creating the mermaid, will be in attendance and so will most of the Vancouver Dive Industry.  Should be a great weekend! 

Full report next week.   :)
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Lost Reef & Pam Rocks

3/10/2014

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Had a great Sunday diving this past weekend!  The first dive was between Christie Islet and Pam Rocks called Lost Reef.  The depth on the Lost Reef was between 105ft and 125ft; we got to spend 14mins on a beautiful sponge bioherm!  Since that was such a short dive, we decided to head over to Pam Rocks to search for Nudi's and spend some time at 15ft.   Overall a fabulous day above and below the water  :)

Flickr set posted HERE
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Blackfish

3/8/2014

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Ever since the movie Blackfish came out highlighting the plight of Orcas in captivity, it has people talking!    Today we learn [article] that there is a new proposed law in California: "Announced today by Assemblyman Richard Bloom, D-Santa Monica, the Orca Welfare and Safety Act would outlaw SeaWorld-style shows, as well as captive breeding of the creatures. Violations would be punished by $100,000 in fines, six months in jail, or both."

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Why are GPOs so awesome?!

3/6/2014

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Enteroctopus dofleini
The GPO is distinguished from other species by its sheer size. Adults usually weigh around 15 kg (33 lb), with an arm span of up to 4.3 m (14 ft). The giant Pacific octopus is considered to be short-lived for an animal of its size, with lifespans that average only 3–5 years in the wild. To make up for its relatively short life span, the octopus is extremely prolific. It can lay up to 100,000 eggs which are intensively cared for by the females, which die protecting the eggs.
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Kelvin Grove in the Snow

3/3/2014

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I awoke Sunday morning to large snow flakes falling from the sky and a choppy forecast for Howe Sound... so instead of heading out into the sound, we just popped around the courner from Lions Bay Marina to Kelvin Grove.  The dive site is generally done from quite a hike down a long set of stairs... I have to say, boat diving is a much better way to go! 

With three photographers on the boat,  we sent off the first two before Glen and I followed!  After 80mins underwater an a slightly leaky glove I decided it was time to finish the dive  :)  The only other slight hiccup was that I sold my dive lights and I am waiting for my new strobes to arrive so I was shooting with the camera flash and a hand held flashlight.  Overall, great dive but had to run off to a Vancouver Wine Fest event. 

Currently looking into Whale Sharks for July 2014!
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