I came back to Orlebar Point on Dec. 28, 2024. During past dives, when I visited the 2 large cloud sponges at about 110-120' deep, I saw that the wall seemed to be covered with lots of smaller cloud sponges just below them. My plan today was to quickly drop down deeper than I usually go here and have a look at the area with those small cloud sponges. Despite the forecast of low wind, there was actually a bit of swell hitting the point so getting in with my cameras was trickier than I like for this site. Visibility in the shallows was a bit stirred-up from the waves and there were out-of-focus patches of fresh water here and there.
Visibility down on the wall cleared up nicely. It was a bit dark because of the time of year, but I'd say visibility was 40-50'.
I reached the large cloud sponges. After a quick look, I dropped down beneath them.
My maximum depth down here was 139' and I saw no sign of the bottom of the wall. I took a few almost random photos of all the small cloud sponges on the wall. These sponges were all over a large area of the wall below the large cloud sponges and also farther along the wall at depths below about 130' deep.
I couldn't spend much time down at those depths so I ascended back up to 80-100' deep.
I came back the next day (Dec. 29, 2024). As I was driving to the site I wondered if there would be other divers there since it was a weekend (Sunday) with a very small current exchange and almost no wind or waves. Sure enough, there was a big group of divers from Nanaimo diving there. My plan today was to not go as deep, but to stay around 70-90' deep and see what was farther along the wall compared to the area I usually dive.
Despite it being calmer, visibility was worse in the shallows than the day before. It was 15' or less. I noticed that my macro camera's housing was leaking so I quickly swam back to shore and left it behind, continuing with only my wide-angle camera. Down on the wall, the visibility improved as usual, but it was much darker than the day before. I needed a light to really see anything. As I swam farther along the wall than I usually go, I could see that it was still very similar to the area that I usually dive. There were still lots of plumose anemones, crimson anemones, boot sponges and those small branching yellow sponges.
I've never not had a great dive here. This must be one of the most dramatic, seemingly-bottomless walls I've ever dove. The visibility is often great and there is an unusual density of colourful invertebrate life for the Strait of Georgia. Plus there are almost-guaranteed underwater sealion encounters and frequent sightings (from the surface) of orcas and other whales swimming past the point near shore.
