Derek Hermsen's Dive Log

3/28/10- Did two shore dives; first out to the island to the west, and the second out toward the island to the south of the small point. Long surface swim to the west island. I preferred the dive at the south island where we followed a buoy line down to about 80' and followed the black rock wall around the island. There were big Chimney sponges, lots of crinoids, a cool grunt sculpin, a juvenile Yelloweye Rockfish, Copper Rockfish, rose stars, grey brittle stars, various sculpins, tiny red flabellina slugs, and lots of evidence of octopuses, but didn't see one. Very dark at depth due to tannin layer at surface. Honey Bucket is still there, but no other facilities. Not a bad current but viz was bad to west (<7') and better at south (20'+).

I went diving today at the Alki Junkyard for the first time. Entered the water at the very westerly end of the park right before the first residential home. Straight out at a compass heading of 140, we encountered awesome eelgrass with brooding anemones and kelp crabs before getting to a series of short pilings about 15' deep. Tubesnout school of dozens. Plumose anemones, bryozoans, sponges, sealemons, redrock crabs, and sharpnose and decorator crabs. Heading out to about 45' deep we then turned east and ran parallel to shore. Lots of sea stars: sunflowers, giant pink, leather, and a bloodstar. There were a couple copper rockfish and some cool looking sculpins. Hermits tearing around everywhere on the sandy bottom, launching swarms of coonstripe shrimps into snapping soles' jaws. Lots of normal marine life for a West Seattle dive.

Seacrest Cove 2 on 7-26-09 at 5:00pm. Visibility was incredible; 50'+. Had the park pretty much to ourselves since it was afternoon. Played with a Red Octopus the size of a golfball at about 40' on the south side of the park toward Cove 3. It was just hiding in perfect (almost) camo in the open on the muck. Also saw California Cucumbers, Painted Greenlings, various rockfish and soles, Opalescent and Frosted Nudis, Plumose anemones, various crabs, algaes, stars, worms.

Cove 1, Seacrest, July 19, 2009. No showers here, but less people. There is a silty bottom at the entry due to an overflow run-off pipe which blasts out water all the time. Flounders/sole, and Copper Rockfish were pretty much the only fish. Coonstripe shrimps, a few California Sea Cucumbers, Opalescent Nudis, Red Sea Cucumber, White-Ringed Ribbon worm, Red-Trumpet Calcareous tubeworms, Decorator Crab, Red Rock Crab, anemones, and lots of sea lettuce and brown algaes. Easy entry and the visibility was incredible yesterday!

I've dived here twice this year so far and it is an easy and fun dive. There can be a current when the tide is turning. Tons of plumose anemones toward the end of the pipeline where the 6' diameter opening is located. Lots of different kinds of nudibranchs including Leopard Dorids, Striped Nudis, Nainamo Nudis, Yellow Margine Nudis, Shaggy Mouse, Opalescent, Barnacle Eating Nudis, and more! Eelgrass near by and various algae all over the rocks/pipeline. Ratfish and rockfish. Sunflower stars, Purple stars, various crabs.