Due to the prolonged drought in the Pacific Northwest we were asked to use as little water as possible during our trip to God's Pocket Resort in British Columbia. The best way to remove dried salt on dive gear is to soak it in water. I decided that it would be more fun to soak it in the Pacific Ocean rather than a plastic tub so I ventured out to the barge off Redondo Beach this morning.

I was rewarded for my decision with blue water and no wind. I descended through the blueness until I reached the snotty layer around thirty feet. It quickly cleared and I could make out the rocks and barge forty feet below.

I had my camera set for macro, which of course meant that something big would swim by. A four foot Giant Sea Bass cruised along the top edge of the barge, turning away slowly as it looked right at me. I fumbled with the knobs of my housing but couldn't get the camera to focus before the big guy was gone.

Just as I was about to switch back to macro the largest school of barracuda I've ever seen swam slowly over me. I fired off a few shots at the wrong f/stop but at least I saw them. The rest of the dive was uneventful except for the visibility.

From the Man in the Little Boat statue in the middle of the barge I could see each end, including my recently painted green anchor thirty feet away. It was one of the best dives I've had on the barge, visibility wise.

The water was very warm at 59°, a nice change from the 48° on my previous dive. Maybe the conditions we experienced in January will remain for awhile. February through July was challenging.














A tiny octopus blends into a corynactis covered rock


The Man in the Little Boat has become an artificial reef.


Corynactis californica appears to be consuming a navanax while spawning. I'm not sure what the green cloud emanating from the anemone is.