Flag Pole and Elephant Ear

[deep diver]

Went to Flag Pole and Elephant Ear today and as usual, wolf eels everywhere. A few Octopus, but not as many as usual.
Lot of life starting to bloom and the colors are coming back. Baby jellies everywhere including lions mane, about the size of a dime and foot long tentacles.
Vis wasn't too bad, 25-30' in deeper water.
Cloud sponge is starting to show signs of wear, might be due to the new buoy making it easier for more divers to find.

[dwashbur]

When I saw the subject line my first thought was "Oh yeah? Well, Pressed Rat and Warthog to you!" Then I saw you were talking about a dive...

Nice pix! Gotta get over there one of these days.

[nwscubamom]

Elephant WALL. But I do like Elephant Ear - nice touch!

So what prompted you to say the Cloud Sponge was showing signs of 'wear'? What does that look like? Any pics?

- Janna

[Bric Martin]

Elephant WALL. But I do like Elephant Ear - nice touch!

So what prompted you to say the Cloud Sponge was showing signs of 'wear'? What does that look like? Any pics?

- Janna

Hey Janna

I am diving Flag Pole next Monday. When I saw this post I had the same questions about the cloud sponge. I will check it out and let you know.

[deep diver]

I have been diving there for years and this is about the worse I have seen it. Lots of it is dying and broken off.

[nwscubamom]

Yeah, there is one section that's been like that for some time, I've noticed it too. But it's been like that for years (we have photos) although not sure if it's the same section or if there's more now.

Hood Canal cloud sponge seems to be like that - I've seen other locations that has both healthy and that icky looking Cloud Sponge at the same site (in HC). I wonder if sediment coming in from the rivers contributes to it being like that.

I doubt divers have anything to do with it though. Unless you see chunks of it broken off by fins or something.

- Janna

[WylerBear]

Especially since the buoys have only been there for a few weeks. Not that many divers frequent that site.

[nwscubamom]

FYI - this was written back in 2003 by PADI Course Director (I didn't really have to throw that in, but I'm just so proud of her!!) Nicolle Pratt about this site - with photos of the dying Cloud Sponge:
http://pnwscuba.com/reviews/FlagPolePointEast.htm

- Janna

[deep diver]

I'm sure some of it is from silt, but there are some with big chunks knocked off, mostly in the shallow waters. Maybe eels during mating? the deeper areas that look like it's dying could be from silt.

[no excuses]

.
Cloud sponge is starting to show signs of wear, might be due to the new buoy making it easier for more divers to find.

I have dove it three times since the buoy went in and its looked the same every time.

[nwscubamom]

I'm sure some of it is from silt, but there are some with big chunks knocked off, mostly in the shallow waters. Maybe eels during mating? the deeper areas that look like it's dying could be from silt.

How shallow is shallow? Curious...

- Janna

[deep diver]

Not sure, highest ones, maybe 85'. Didn't take any pictures of chunks... maybe next time I'm there. The guy I was diving with went to 185 and said they looked fine down that deep, just silt.

[nwscubamom]

Were the chunks out of the clean white colonies or out of the darker ones?

(sorry for all the questions - just want to know what to look for next time I'm there.)

It might be good for us to collectively informally monitor the colonies so we know if things are changing.

- Janna

[deep diver]

Mostly the darker. Don't see much bright white, mostly an off white with silt. I'm usually looking for critters on a nice clean spot for pictures, so I'm usually looking over them pretty good.

I'll try and make a habit of taking a photo every time I dive that spot so we can compare.

[Waynne Fowler]

I've been diving the site for over ten years. The sponges have always had a hard time there. Chunks are always falling off the troubled sponges. Why they are unhealthy, I think, is partially due to the silt that seems to cover them much of the time and partly due to divers. That crazy run-off silt that we got about 2 years ago certainly couldn't have done them any good. The sick ones have been noticeably more stressed since then.

With the site gaining popularity over the past 5-6 years we have way more newer divers venturing down to see them. New divers who lack proper buoyancy and control skills are drawn to gaze at them no less then those with the skill to avoid touching. Much of the damage done by divers is done, not thru intentional touching, but more a lack of skill/control and/or knowledge.