Monthly Archives: December 2009
Last Dive of 2009: Boyz Inside the Yukon
Filed under Oceans
Date: 12/30/09
Time: Approx. 10:30 am
Dive Length: 43 mins
Mix: 21 %
Viz: 3-5 ft. max. murky, dark and surgey
Temp: forgot to look: +/- 57 F
Dive buddies: Dave H. and Prof. Charles
Marine Life Observed: hundreds of Blacksmith fish, not much else visible; Strawberry Anemones and White Metridia
Highlights:
–We left the dock under steel grey skies and high hopes to take Prof. Charles out to the Elkhorn Forest at Wind ‘n’ Sea, only to find the Fuel Dock was closed, so we were forced to divert to the Yukon, given the amount of fuel we had onboard.
–Conditions in Wreck Alley today were not pretty, characterized by being dark, gloomy and green, with 3-5 ft. vis, max: so you didn’t miss much
–Once on the Yukon itself, we groped our way from the Bow, where we were moored, aft, towards amidships, through hundreds of Blacksmith fish all flitting about and trying to peer inside our masks. I took Prof. Charles over to see Milt Beard’s likeness under Milt’s Tilt and he took a photo and from here, I led everyone back towards the opening to the Honor Wall Room, where I descended first, followed by Dave and Prof. Charles.
–About 5 ft. in and down into the Honor Wall Room, on the right hand side, someone had tied a wooden block to the wall, which read: “Last Dive of 2009,” followed by something on the back I couldn’t quite make out in the gloom, perhaps who they came to see on the Honor Wall, a women’s name I didn’t recognize.
–After checking out the wooden block and some names on the Honor Wall, we all dropped down and exited at the opening near the sand at around 95 ft. and made our way forward, towards the bow, where we rose up and checked out the area around the bow.
–There was a smaller opening on the deck, just below the Dolphin Cutout, which had a strong current exiting from it and I cautioned everyone to keep clear, as the force of the water could actually rip the reg from your mouth if you encountered it at the wrong angle.
–From here we went up and over the Dolphin Cutout, to the opening just behind it, to an area I am not sure the name of, and we all dropped down into the huge room here at about 65 ft. Just below us, I could see the exit, mentioned above, and I saw that it was connected to another opening going deep inside the ship, with a strong surge going through it, which explained the torrent of water pouring out of the deck we had noticed earlier.
–After all this mucking about inside the ship, Prof. Charles and I, who had the misfortune to be on 21%, were beginning to rack up some deco, so we all agreed it was time to begin heading back up, so we all groped our way back to the ascent line.
–Upon arrival back on deck, I was dismayed to pour about a cup of water out of the left foot of my dry suit, so I was done for the day, but we decided to do a second dive on the El Rey. Unfortunately, we were unable to located the mooring buoy, so Dave and Charles decided they wouldn’t mind doing the Ruby E., so we headed on over there and I caught up on my emails on deck, while they did their dive.
–They reported similar low viz and surgey conditions on the Ruby E., so I wasn’t exactly heartbroken at having missed the dive.
–Welcome to Winter Diving in San Diego: Happy New Year to all! 
Andy Sallmon Hovers Over the Yukon
Filed under Oceans, Yukon, wreck diving
Used with Permission/All Rights Reserved
Reef Check Numbers Are In: 2009 Was Best Season Yet
Filed under Oceans
| By Reef Check California Director of Science Cyndi Dawson
The numbers are in and 2009 has been the most successful Reef Check California survey season to date! With the help of hundreds of divers statewide, we collected critical information on the status of 61 reef sites while completing 75 surveys. We had some great highlights this year as well: sevengill sharks in San Diego, training and surveying with the Port of Los Angeles Police, and the most successful north coast camp out ever, just to name a few. It really was an inspired year with participation and support of the program continuing to grow in leaps and bounds. |
Christmas Day on the Yukon
Filed under Oceans
Date: 12/25/09
Time: 10:49 am
Dive Length: 43 mins
Mix: 29%
Max Depth: 104 ft.
Surface Conditions: flat
Visibility: 15-20 ft.
Dive Buddies: None [NOAA Jim forgot his dry suit: oh, the shame!]; Ruth and Larry Harris
Marine Life Observed: Fragile Rainbow Sea Star, Giant Spined Sea Stars, Masking Crabs, Blacksmith fish, Senoritas, Huge schools of Unidentified Silversides at 30 ft. Tube-Dwelling Anemones, Strawberry Anemones, White Metridia, Senile Metridia, Macrocystis and Elkhorn Kelp
Highlights:
Barb was home with a cold today, so NOAA Jim and I took Ruth and Larry Harris out on the Scuba Do for a Christmas Day dive on the Yukon.
The water was flat as a pancake as we sped out to the dive site and we were the only boat tied up to the Forward Guns of the Yukon. Jim and I decided to send Ruth and Larry down first, while we brought up the rear. That is, until Jim discovered he had forgotten to bring his dry suit [Ha!] and it was left to me to go solo, all by my lonesome.
At 30 ft. there was a spectacular layer of Silversides flitting about, causing Pelicans and Cormorants to be diving in and out of the water looking for lunch, along with the occasional dolphin.
Being by myself, I kept to my rule of not penetrating more than 6 ft. into Lady Yuke, and was pleasantly surprised to note a Fragile Rainbow Star anchored to the side of the wall, inside one of the ‘smoke stacks,’ for lack of a better term, an Echinoderm not often seen in these parts.
I had a nice, relaxing 43 min dive, cruising up and down the length of the Yukon, admiring her, all aglow, in the early morning light, in her Strawberry Anemone ‘outfit,’ with huge schools of Blackmith fish, zooming about, this way and that, before ascending through the layer of Siversides, at 30 ft.
Larry and Ruth did a second dive and then it was back to the dock, where we were treated to a gift of Ruth’s delicious Christmas Pumpkin Pie along with Shannon Rizzo’s gooey taffy, send all the way from Michigan, which was greatly appreciated!
A great way to spend Christmas Day with good food and friends: thanks, guys!
David Andrew’s Recent Photos from Quintana Roo, Cozumel, Mexico
Filed under Oceans
Many thanks to San Diego diver and master photographer David Andrew for sharing these gorgeous photos from his trip!
