These pictures are from Feb. 4, 2024. I called this spot "Giant Kelp Beach" years ago since it didn't have an official name and it was the first place that I saw live giant kelp (macrocystis) in the Victoria area. I did a dive here a few months ago (taking video) and noticed that the macrocystis kelp that used to be just off the pebble beach was gone. That dive was in late October and since that kind of kelp mostly dies off in the Winter, maybe it was just torn away by storms and the holdfast was waiting buried under pebbles until Spring when it will grow back. Anyway, calling this spot "Giant Kelp Beach" might not make sense anymore if the giant kelp is gone, but I don't know what else to call it.
Today, Windy.com was showing minimal swells here (about 1 foot). Usually, even on windless days, the swells rolling up the Strait of Juan de Fuca from the open Pacific can make this shallow site not diveable. When I showed up today, as forecasted, there was just a tiny swell barely rippling up on the beach. The short trail was just as steep as always. Going uphill while wearing dive gear is a workout for the calves, but even going downhill is tricky since the loose gravel tries to roll out from under your feet.
Visibility was a milky 10-15'. I swam out to the right. It was the lowest tide that I've ever dove here and my maximum depth was only 22'. I visited the small canyon that has overhanging walls almost like a tunnel. This site is probably the easiest place (despite the steep trail) to see lots of white-spotted rose anemones and giant green anemones. Of course there are lots of fish-eating anemones as well.
If it wasn't for the steep trail and the waves, which frequently make this site undiveable, I'd probably dive here much more often. It's not really deep enough to appeal to most divers, but I'm a fan of these colourful, shallow, surge-affected Juan-de Fuca spots.
