Saturday, October 21, 2006
The Dive Log 10-21-06
I went scuba diving at Whittier today. Air temperature was a balmy 43 degrees and the water temperature a tropical 50 degrees. Under clear and windy skies, the glacier shone brilliantly under the bright sun. Conditions were something of an anomaly for Whittier, which are usually raining and windy. The town sits at the head of a fjord off Prince William Sound. The weather pushes up Canal Passage until it hits the mountains that ring the town and with no place to go, the clouds seem to empty on the town as if to exact revenge for being forced to end their existence in such a place.
During the dive, we visited the modules at the multiple sites that make up the Whittier artificial reef. The project provided mitigation for loss of habitat caused when a portion of the harbor was filled for a cargo handling facility. During the dives, we found Pacific octopus, ling cod, lots of rock fish, and the ever present jelly fish. In fact, we came across what appeared to be the gelatinous remains of one jelly fish that was providing a feast for a number of shrimp. This close to Halloween, the scene reminded me of something out of a horror film. We also ran into a team of researchers from the University of Alaska that was visiting to check out the reef and film its components. They are looking at the possibility of constructing artificial reefs in Juneau as habitat mitigation for a proposed road project. Whittier is the gateway to the Prince William Sound, a cruise ship port, and a stop on the Alaska Marine Highway, out state’s ferry system. The joke is that people come to Whittier in order to leave! The artificial reef is giving people a reason to visit and stay.
During the dive, we visited the modules at the multiple sites that make up the Whittier artificial reef. The project provided mitigation for loss of habitat caused when a portion of the harbor was filled for a cargo handling facility. During the dives, we found Pacific octopus, ling cod, lots of rock fish, and the ever present jelly fish. In fact, we came across what appeared to be the gelatinous remains of one jelly fish that was providing a feast for a number of shrimp. This close to Halloween, the scene reminded me of something out of a horror film. We also ran into a team of researchers from the University of Alaska that was visiting to check out the reef and film its components. They are looking at the possibility of constructing artificial reefs in Juneau as habitat mitigation for a proposed road project. Whittier is the gateway to the Prince William Sound, a cruise ship port, and a stop on the Alaska Marine Highway, out state’s ferry system. The joke is that people come to Whittier in order to leave! The artificial reef is giving people a reason to visit and stay.
