Date: 6/6/09
Location: Yukon, Wreck Alley, Mission Beach
Time: 11:16 am
Dive Length: 42 mins
Viz: 40 ft. +
Max Depth: 105 ft. [brought shovel]
Av. Depth: 66 ft.
Bottom Temp: 52 F
Surface Temp: 68 F.
Surface Conditions: 1-2 ft. wind waves
Current/Surge: slight
Buddies: Barb and Kathy S.
Marine Life Observed/Recorded: Invertebrates: Tube-Dwelling Anemones, Strawberry Anemones, Red Gorgonians, California Sea Cucumbers, Giant Spined Sea Stars, Stalked Tunicates, Macrocystis.
Fish: numerous juvenile Blacksmith, Black-Eyed Gobies, Cabezon, Painted Greenlings, Black Perch, Pile Perch, Sheephead [juvenile and adult], Senoritas, Masking Crabs, Spanish Shawls….
Photos: see recent Yukon photos by Kim Mitchell, here on this site [see: sidebar]
Remarks:
We left the dock today reluctantly without NOAA Jim, who had shown up to brief us on all the handiwork he done installing the new stainless steel gas tank, but then decided he didn’t feel up to diving today, which we understood, but were nonetheless disappointed that he couldn’t come out with us—especially after all the work he had done on the boat.
We motored out under partly cloudy skies and threat of rain to the Yukon, where the Merrissa was just leaving, only to find to our astonishment that, after suiting up and jumping in, 40 ft. + visibility awaited us down below on Lady Yuke.
I had heard rumors earlier in the day, but didn’t dare believe them.
As we dropped down the line onto the ship, we noticed that we could see her from pretty far up in the water column—like 30 ft. The Forward Guns jutted out like giant, algae covered fingers, pointing to the bow, far below us.
Then, as we dropped in closer, we noticed we could see the sandy bottom from 60 ft., which meant [more or less] scientifically, that the viz was 40 ft., if you assume that the bottom is around 100 ft. and our dive computers are accurate.
The horizontal viz was even better.
Lady Yuke lay on her side, covered in beautiful pink and white Strawberry Anemones, interspersed with large white clumps of pure white Medtridia, scattered over her superstructure, with long, graceful strands of Giant Kelp waving gently in the breeze on her Starboard side.
You don’t realize how really big the Yukon is, until you see her laid out on the sand in 40 ft. + visibility. She stretches endlessly towards the underwater horizon, glowing in pink and white.
When viz is only 5-10 ft., you see her only in 5-10 ft. segments and her immense size is hidden. It’s like measuring the Great Wall of China in one meter segments.
But, when you see her in all her glory, stretching out endlessly before you, you are astounded at how big she is: 366 feet, the size of a football field underwater.
And, absolutely gorgeous.
Huge schools of juvenile and adult Blacksmith, the size of houses, darted back and forth in front of us, moving as one in the dappled rays of golden sunlight which streamed down from the surface.
Barb, Kathy and I dropped down onto the Forward Guns and then made our way towards Milt’s Tilt, per our agreed upon plan.
As we moved along the superstructure of Yukon, I felt like one of those tiny space pods approaching the Mother Ship in a science fiction movie…at any moment, I expected a sliding door to glide open for us to enter.
Barb and I had promised Kathy we would take into and through the ‘Honor Wall’ Room, so we cruised along the bottom, towards the Radio Tower, looking for the entry point.
Large numbers of fairly large Sea Pens jutted up from the sandy bottom, as we glided above them, on our way towards Milt’s Tilt.
In only a few minutes, the curtains of Blacksmith fish parted to let us approach section of the superstructure near the bottom, where the cut out into the ‘Honor Wall’ lay.
Barb entered first, followed by me, with Kathy bringing up the rear.
At first it was disorientingly dark inside the ship, but then, as we played our light around on the walls, details became clear: large, yellowish California Sea Cucumbers dotted the walls in front of us, with the occasional Masking Crab, making his way along a steel beam.
Shining my light to the left, I played it up and down the Wall of Tiles, so Kathy could see all the names displayed here.
Leaving Barb and Kathy to explore the room, I shot some air into my BC and let myself glide slowly upward towards the cut out about 9 ft above where we had come in, being careful not to kick my fins and start a ‘silt out’ inside the ship.
I glided out the opening and turned around to make sure Barb and Kathy were behind me.
From here, we glided slowly over to Milt’s Tilt, covered as it is in snow-white Senile Metridia and over the superstructure towards amidships.
The huge schools of Blacksmith had been replaced now by schools of Surfperch and Senoritas, which were now racing over the deck of the ship, as if being chased by some monster behind them.
We finned our way towards the Mortar Bay, admiring Lady Yuke, laying on her side, in all her pink and white glory, secretly reveling in our good fortune at being able to dive her on this oh, so rare day of excellent viz.
I spent some time zooming in on some of the invertebrates, scattered about on the deck and various superstructures, such as the White Metridia, Red Algae and tiny Spanish Shawls, which dotted the surface like tiny neon lights.
Upon arrival at the Mortar Bay, it was time to begin heading back to where we started and we glided up to the Starboard side and made our way through the Giant Kelp, swaying gently back and forth in the current, until we reached the ascent line on the Forward Guns, where we had descended.
Barb and Kathy still had some gas and wanted to dally, so I indicated that I was going to begin making my way up the line, did my deep stop at 60 ft. and made my way back up, marveling at the beauty of the pink and white ship, as she slowly faded from view.
I amused myself watching their mushrooming, sliver bubbles make their way up through the water column in the crystal clear, tropical visibility, as I slowly approached surface.
Reluctantly, I clambered back aboard the Scuba Do, knowing that we had all just witnessed a rare moment in 8 years of diving Lady Yuke: 40 ft. + visibility and another good REEF survey accomplished.
Needless to say, we did another dive here, but you get the idea, I’m sure.
Dive safe, everyone and get out there while the good viz lasts.