How Scuba Works

Rolling into the weekend like...

(Yes I know, I look fabulous in my work gear)

I haven't been posting recently, but just in case anyone forgot how much I love glass sponge... I LOVE glass sponge!!

man.sam and I have been working on a sponge data collection system that is almost live! Once it is I can't wait to share it with everyone! Stay tuned for more sponge!

Stunning new 3D printed DIN dust caps! It's amazing how much 3D printing can help scuba!

Just another wall dive in Campbell River ❤️

So much life everywhere! The high current in the area means the walls are totally covered with critters, from anemones to sponges and everything in between!

Strawberry Anemones at Row and be Damned! I am absolutely in love!

Who else loves grunts?!
Grunt sculpin are my favorite fishy! They never cease to make me laugh. With their tiny little fins they do more hopping than swimming, but did you know there is actually an evolutionary reason for this?
The spines of the fins are to look like giant acorn barnacles when feeding! Empty barnacle shells are a favorite hidey hole for these little guys, so camouflaged as a barnacle is perfect! Nature is amazing!

Ready to ice dive!!

Today we went ice diving in BC for the first time! I've always gone with the ice masters in Calgary, . For the past four years I've been learning, not only ice diving, but also how to successfully not freeze on the top side. Ice diving is so much more than just the underwater aspect. There's more gear to own, a hole to cut, freezing temperatures to manage. Just being certified doesn't even remotely mean you can just go out and do it. You need a team and a lot more logistics.
I'm very lucky that the team at T4 has so many years of experience, and I can learn from them. While their set up is still without a doubt a lot better than ours, we can now successfully go out and have some fun on the ice in our own backyard!
Super excited for more ice adventures both in BC and with T4 in Alberta!

Thanks .man.sam and for being the best team to try this out with!

All this snow is making me daydream about the bright and beautiful life under water, like this Orange Peel Nudibranch munching on some Gorgonian Coral! This guy must have been hungry, as he's already cleared off a branch of polyps!

MLSS and LEMS in the news?! Amazing!! Check it out! And don't forget to submit your egg mass surveys!

Did you happen to catch our shoutout last night on ?!?

A huge thank you to for highlighting how amazing lingcod are and the work we are doing to protect them.

Missed the news last night? You can watch the full broadcast here (the segment on lingcod begins at 47:38):

https://www.youtube.com/live/VP9xURGL7nQ?si=M6PoFdDdUgjcFTe0&t=2856

A reminder that lingcod egg mass season runs annually from January to March and our divers are already documenting masses! Check out the link in our bio to learn more about how you can also get involved!

What's that you ask?!

It's a close up of a Giant Dendronotid laying eggs! While I've seen their egg masses laying around many times, I've never actually seen one in the process of laying, so this was a super exciting find for me!

I think nudibranchs always have such pretty egg masses. They look like looping lace; big, small, ribbony, or ropey, depending on the breed, and the colours are all over the place.

Giant dendronotids lay white looping ropey bands. They usually try to lay them on or near their favorite snack; tube dwelling anemones. This way when their babies hatch they have something to munch on right away!

"That crab is bigger than my head!"

Who else loves seeing absolutely giant marine life?! While Puget Sound King Crabs do get big, it's rare to find one *this* big, especially here in Howe Sound!

Don't worry, our crabby friend was safely put back down once his photoshoot was over. I'm pretty sure .man.sam was more harmed by my blinding lights than the crab!

Name That Rockfish!!

Yellow eye rockfish are incredibly pretty with their reddish orange bodies and bright yellow eyes. They aren't super common here in Howe Sound, so it's always nice to find a big one!

These bright fishies are beautiful both as adults, and babies. Juveniles are dark red with white horizontal stripes. It's amazing how much they change as they grow!