Yes, there really are some large octopi at Alki Cove II. "Putative Octopuses" I told her until I had seen them. She took me down to them first so now I have to admit I was just blind to them before. We found the largest under the honey bear, an old decayed boat at 60 feet. As I watched, its mantle and tentacles were close to the edge of its cover and moving about so I could almost reach in and touch them. I thought of it wrapping its strong tentacle around my hand and pulling me in so I didn't. The mantle was a deep redish-brown with a stark white showing inside when it blew out air. The suckers were maybe an inch and a half in diameter.
This was our second dive of the night. We didn't go down to the mermaid this time but headed for the posts and old rotted logs. Night diving here was much easier and in the end much safer than Port Hardy. I was still a bit nervous getting in so I left my camera in the car. That turned out to be a mistake since Katie found a long Moss Headed Warbonnet residing in a log. With a bit of poking it came out and attempted to blend into the color on the outside as we examined it with our lights.
We left the Warbonnet to its own devices and headed up the silty slope looking for other creatures that stalk the sea floor at night. The night diving is different since you can only see what's in the light beam rather than just using the light to bring out the colors while still being able to see the shapes around you. A couple of times I covered my light to experience complete darkness. I could have stayed there all night. No visual input, no touch, only the steady sound of breathing and the bubbles as I exhaled from each calming breath.
The hermit crabs were fighting the shrimp for contol of large white, flat shell on a small rock. The shrimp was a Coon Stripe Shrimp about 3 to 4 inches long. Maybe 15 or 20 hermit crabs of all sizes, naked without their stolen shells, were battling for control over the prize. There bulbous abdomens exposed to whatever hungry creature came by. The Shrimp moved in and pushed the Crabs out of the way who would immediately mount a counter attack and try to push the Shrimp back away from the prize. As I left the Shrimp was clearly the victor.
Multiple Gunnels greeted us in the shallows for our safety stop. The Saddleback Gunnels coyly looked out from the security of the kelp on the bottom while an orange Longfin Gunnel hid within the confines of a rotted log. Katie was much better at finding these than I was so when her light quit I forced one of mine on her and we continued looking for more prizes before going in. After 2 dives and it was heading towards 10pm it was eventually time to go in. No seals on this trip and the elusive Six Gill Shark didn't make it up from its watery depth. We'll have to go back again.
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