Sund Rock, North Wall
Review #15
Scott Van Hoosen (octopus at vanhoosen dot net) |
October 22, 2002 |
| Location: Hoodsport, WA USA |
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Dive Type: Salt Water |
Facilities: Parking |
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| Hazards: Depth |
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Entry: moderate shore |
Surface Swim: medium |
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Difficulty: intermediate |
Typical depth: 55 |
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Dive site rating: 8 |
Max depth: 90+ |
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This site is a protected marine preserve
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Dive site description:
My brother in law Jon went to Hoodsport to get certified, and about an hour after he was an official diver, I took him out for his first recreational dive. This was also a test dive for me, as itwas my first dive in a drysuit. We were met by two of my dive buddies, Mark and Dawn. We found a couple of octopi tucked in their caves, one of them a mother guarding her eggs. I saw a gunnel near the beginning of the dive. But the real fun began on the way back! I was the last in line, and I saw my dive buddies all in a circle. I figured they were checking each others' air or something, and I decided to settle to the bottom by a large brown rock. Suddenly I realized the rock was moving! It was a fabulous octopus out in the open, with a head larger than a basketball, probably small beach ball sized. It was just slowly floating along the bottom, as we all watched. I removed my glove and was able to touch a tentacle several times. I was excited as its suction cups periodically gripped my fingers for a couple seconds as it checked me out. The feel is difficult to describe, but it felt like really soft bumpy mush covering a strong round cable of muscle inside. I then scratched its head, which it didn't seem to care about. It didn't seem to mind me touching it, but also didn't really respond either. It's head again felt really gooshy (I believe that's the scientific term) with a harder cartilage "skull" type thing under the floppy mush of skin. Really a weird feeling creature. Anyway we followed him for about five minutes, before letting him slip awayinto deeper water as we headed back to shore. What an amazing experience! I told Jon that it was too bad that his first dive had such a wonderful encounter, because from now on all other dives will be an anti-climactic. He might as well turn in his fins and quit diving now! :^) |
Directions:
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