Dive #1: [Actual: #699]
Date: 6/1/07
Time: 7:37 pm
Location: Yukon, Wreck Alley
Bottom Temp: a c-c-chillly 50 F.
Viz: 12 ft. +/-
Max Depth: 101 ft [did a little digging]
Mix: 32%
Dive Length: 44 mins
Critters Seen: many White Metridia, Macrocystis, numerous Rockfish,
Painted Greenlings, Giant Spined Starfish, Bat Stars, Black
Surperch…….
Due to time constraints I’m going to keep this mercifully short.
After picking up NOAA Jim and Charlie on the dock, we motored out to
Wreck Alley under the sunny skies of a late afternoon, tied up to the
Stern Buoy on the Yukon, suited up and jumped in, first Jim and
Charlie, then me and Barb. Barb and I clowned around on the way down,
turning off our lights to play in the bio-luminescence, which created
green sparks all around us as we waved our hands about in the dark.
The Yukon looked ghostly in the fading light, which gave everything an
unearthly green glow as the sun dropped towards the horizon.
Metridia and Strawberry Anemones glowed like neon in our lights as we
made our way forward towards the Bow, then turned around right about
where the Bridge is and the memorial plaque to Steve D., which I gave
a quick polish to with my glove, before we moved on back towards the
Stern.
We dipped into a few cubbyholes on our way back before zooming up
through the cutouts in the roof of the Mortar Bay and ascending
through the mini-kelp forest swaying gently in the current on the
Starboard side of the hull.
We then made our back towards the ascent line, after taking a quick
peek into the hole cut into the rear hull, just under the line and
made our way back up towards the surface.
A very nice and satisfying night dive on the Lady Yuke.
Dive #2: [Actual: 700]
Location: El Rey, Wreck Alley
Time: 9:32 pm
Dive Length: 38 mins.
Max Depth: 88 ft.
Mix: 31%
Temp: a slightly warmer 52 F.
Critter Seen: large Bat Ray, many White Metridia, Macrocystis,
numerous Rockfish, Painted Greenlings, Giant Spined Starfish, Bat
Stars, Black Surperch…….
Upon arrival at the El Rey, Jim and Charlie had decided that one dive
was good enough for them, so they decided to sit out this one, as Barb
and I suited up
and eagerly jumped into one of our favorite Wreck Alley sites: the
Kelp Cutter El Rey.
We dropped down the anchor line and quickly found ourselves hovering
over the familiar Kelp Harvester part of the ship, followed by the
long, ‘flatbed,’ so to speak, of the deck, covered in beautiful, Red
and Gold Gorgonians, gently wafting in the current, along with quite a
few Blacksmith and Sea Perch.
As we came around the bend on the deck, a large white, flat object
banked and whizzed by us: a rather large Bat Ray, obviously out for a
night of feeding.
He banked around and came back towards us, seemingly aiming for Barb’s
light; or at least that’s what we think.
He zoomed by us a couple times before taking off into the darkness. We
thought he was gone.
Suddenly, however, perhaps blinded by our lights, he banked around a
final time before coming in like a Kamikaze, straight towards Barb.
She ducked, but not quite quick enough to prevent a collision,
accompanied by a loud ’smack’ sound that even I could hear, 5 ft.
away. Barb said later she could feel his soft, wet ‘wing’ smack
against her BC.
Seemingly stunned but unharmed, the Bat Ray decided he had had enough
of us and took of into the blackness for the final time, leaving us
just shaking our heards in wonder. I later joked that he had perhaps
mistaken her for a cute ‘female’ Bat Ray and was trying to get to know
her better. Chuckle…….
We continued circling around the deck of ship in lazy circles,
enjoying the glow of Gorgonians and Bat Stars in our lights until our
computer indicated that it was time to return, and we headed up the
ascent line.
All in all, a very rewarding and enjoyable couple of night dives in Wreck Alley!
Oh……and, another evening in Paradise!
Dive safe, everyone!
