Saturday March 24 - Possession Point Ferry and The Fingers

Our destination today was the Possession Point Ferry on the South end of Whidbey Island.  According to Emerald Diving Photography (http://www.boydski.com/diving/dives/possession-point-ferry.htm) the wooden, diesel-electric ferry, originally 227’ long and 44’ wide was built in 1926 as the Golden State for use in San Francisco.   In 1937, it was purchased by the Puget Sound Navigation Company and converted into the Washington State Ferry,  Kehloken.  Infamous for its sad role in 1942 of transporting the Japanese residents of Bainbridge Island to Seattle for placement into California relocation camps, the Kehloken provided nearly 50 years of faithful service.   In 1975, she had outlived her useful life and was sold for $25,000.  She was then towed to Lake Union to be converted into a club house and restaurant, but in 1979 was set on fire and burned to the waterline.  What remained of the Kehloken’s wood hull was then towed out to Possession Point on the South end of Whidbey Island and intentionally sunk in 80 feet of water.

We arrived at the dive site after an hour and half of nervous excitement and expectations (at least I was nervous) with the current running fast enough that we dragged the buoy underwater after tieing off the boat.  Steve H. was our dive master and worried enough that he was considering another dive site.  At least until Pam came aft, looked at the buoy, checked her tide tables and simply stated "wait 10 minutes" and walked off.  Five minutes later the tide slackendeed and 10 minutes later we were splashing into the water.  Katie and Kari were paired, Steve and I were buddies and Ryan was buddied up with Ryan. 

Swimming Anenome

Transparent Tunicates

We hit low tide with a final depth of 67 feet and one of the most beautiful wreck dives in Puget Sound.  Every exposed part of the ferry was covered with anemones, sponges and tunicates with lingcod and rockfish scattered throughout the wreck.  White plumose anemones created living archways inviting us into the depths of the wreckage.  Steve and I headed down the port side of the vessel taking in the expanse of swimming anemones and translucent tunicates that covered every inch of the ferry.  A decorator crab scampered by covered in encrusting sponges and translucent tunicates ducking into the white, lacey plumes of the anemones .  We went out 20 minutes, made it to some large round metal structures showing there exposure to the salt water, then turned around and headed back to the line.  At the surface the current picked up so we let go of the line and caught the ladder before being swept passed the boat and around Whidbey Island.

Orange Cratered Encrusting Sponge

The fingers was a completely different dive from the Possession Point Ferry.  While the ferry is a man made reef the fingers are a series of geologic protrusions on the North/East edge of Whidbey which start from a gently sloping sandy bottom then drop off at 30 feet on a series of ledges to depths greater than 130 feet.  Here we find sandstone like walls with overhangs and ledges providing protective cover for the sponges, worms, tunicates, fish, crabs, anemones and crabs scattered along the wall.  Prior to getting in I was complaining to Pam about how I hurt my back and she informed me of the free chiropractic care at 90 feet.  I took her advice and tried it out but forgot to tell anyone I was going deeper so that everyone was gone when I returned a few minutes later.  No problem, I went North along the fingers swimming through a school of black rockfish and investigating the slime stars and tunicates before turning back.  Periodically, I would come across perfectly round natural holes in the rock wall.  

I eventually came upon Ryan who was ascending from the depths below.  At the safety stop I hung out on the sandy slope observing the siphons sticking up from the geoduck clam.  I wondered how old they were.  Geoduck clams can live over a 100 years.  Back on the boat I was accosted by Pam letting me know they were worried about me.  The crew was following my bubbles and they apparently disappeared while I was at the safety stop.  I'm fairly sure I was breathing and blowing bubbles the whole time but I have nobody to back up my claim.  It was good to know they were watching out for me and next time I'll try to breath more.

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