Another great day at Keystone

Grateful Diver · Post by **Grateful Diver** » Mon Jun 13, 2016 12:53 pm

It got mobbed yesterday ... to the point where parking spaces were getting hard for some folks to find. Fortunately I got there early (6 am ferry) and was in the water for my first dive (91 minutes, solo) by 7:15. Did a second dive with Myra during the second slack. Vis was typical Keystone ... about 15 feet with lots of particulates in the water. Found lots of cool stuff to take pictures of ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

GearHead · Post by **GearHead** » Mon Jun 13, 2016 2:03 pm

The parking area at Keystone has shrunk since the bank was knocked down by the big storm earlier this Spring. There used to be plenty of room for another row of vehicles. Now there is only room for one row next to the tables where we can gear up.

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RoxnDox · Post by **RoxnDox** » Mon Jun 13, 2016 2:25 pm

You sure did... Great shots, Bob!

Scubie Doo · Post by **Scubie Doo** » Mon Jun 13, 2016 2:35 pm

Oh yeah! Great shots! Let me know next time you venture up there.

Jan K · Post by **Jan K** » Mon Jun 13, 2016 2:46 pm

Bob, great shots as usual. Funny, we were underwater at the same time ! No ferry for me

I arrived at Keystone to an empty parking lot, got in at 6:42 and when I got out one hour later, the parking was full.
I am happy that you put Whidbey on your dive map again. And have a good trip to the tropics where you have better visibility than we had yesterday after the freighter wake stirred up the shallows...

Gdog · Post by **Gdog** » Mon Jun 13, 2016 2:52 pm

Great shots Bob. Love that last one especially!

ScubaJess · Post by **ScubaJess** » Mon Jun 13, 2016 5:34 pm

Really nice shots Bob!

I love the candy stripes!!!!
Have a fun and safe trip!

GearHead · Post by **GearHead** » Mon Jun 13, 2016 7:07 pm

Pretty special finding the candy stripes and the lumpie. I've never spotted those at Keystone. Good eyes.

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Grateful Diver · Post by **Grateful Diver** » Tue Jun 14, 2016 5:04 am

The candy-stripes are getting harder to find. I suspect they are transitory at that site, because until a few weeks ago I'd never heard of them being there before ... nor being found on painted anemones. I've been up there a few times in the two months since they were initially reported, and it seems like their numbers are dwindling.

The juvi lumpsuckers are all over in the kelp ... much like you can find them at other sites like Three Tree ... you just have to look carefully. I found several on each dive. They're quite small though, and blend in pretty well.

Both are most easily found by surface swimming out to the buoy about midway between the pilings and the jetty and doing a careful search of the surrounding area ... particularly upslope of the rope within about 20 or so lateral feet from the rope. The CSS will be more toward the pilings side of that buoy, on or inside of the anemones growing out of the bottom.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Radio · Post by **Radio** » Tue Jun 14, 2016 11:18 am

Awesome shots!

Northwest Dive Club