Discovery Bay

[deep diver]

Woodsman Reef

I've been diving here a few times these last few weeks and the vis has been pretty bad. Today the vis opened up to at least 35' or better. This reef has been recovering well and getting lots of life on it. Most of the Nudis that are on it are common black spot, lemons etc. Today the reef was overrun with stripped nudis. I have never seen them in discovery bay or even in the hood canal before. Hoping the vis will stay good and I can get some more shots of some of the other life. As of last year there were a lot of wolf eels, but didn't find any today.

[Alexitt]

Cool... Especially like the first one... Very Nice

[Dusty2]

Strange how that works. You just can't predict what it's going to be like till you get there. I need to get back there. I haven't dove there in ages. It's an awesome site when the viz is good. Got buzzed by a grey whale there once.

Those stripped guys been showing up at Hudson too. Not a sea pen in sight but they are there.

[deep diver]

[quote="Dusty2"]Got buzzed by a grey whale there once.

Now that would be cool!
The little striped ones are covered in sand and debis... like they are popping up out of the sand

[LCF]

Where is Woodsman Reef? I'm only familiar with Ed's Fault and the wreck (can't remember the name) as dive sites there.

We really want to get up there this spring with our boat, so I'm very interested to learn the sites to dive.

[CaptnJack]

Yes please which one is woodsman?

[Dusty2]

Actually, They are one in the same. Woodmans and Ed's fault. Woodman's is from the maps of the area.There is a Woodmans Rd. on the map but I am not all that sure it's really there. Where the Ed's fault name came from I know not. It was the name I learned for the site so I default to that.

The dive site can be a bi--h to find if you don't have a GPS and depth sounder. There have been buoys placed there from time to time but they don't last to long. There is no shore access.

[LCF]

Thanks, Dusty!

I note the original report said the reef was "recovering well". Recovering from what?

[deep diver]

Dusty is right, Woodman's and Ed's fault are indeed one in the same, I have just always called it Woodman's. There is a buoy there, which has lasted a year now. It has good rope and a very large buoy, but it is dark blue so makes it harder to see when there is a good swell. Several years ago there wasn't much life on the reef do to pollution?? At least that is what I've seen on the Washington state's most poluted waters. But it has been improving lots. We have been seeing lots of baby wolf eels, haven't seen the full grown ones so not sure how the babies get there. and quite a few octopus and thousands of fish. Now with new kinds of nudis coming in there should be more.Did see a war bonnet a few dives ago, but very camera shy.

[Dusty2]

We have been seeing lots of baby wolf eels, haven't seen the full grown ones so not sure how the babies get there.

Don't know what the deal is with the wolfies. I see juveniles at Hudson regularly too but never adults. Maybe it has to do with available food. The tiny babies go where the current takes them but the adults have more options. There are very few urchins at either site so maybe that is why the population is transient and we only see young ones. I have a hunch that their food preferences change as they get large enough to eat larger prey?