My first six-gill!!!

divernick · Post by **divernick** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 8:47 pm

According to the directions: "Also, tell us your tale of coming nose-to-nose with a 6 gill *this big*!"

So, I went out with Pacific Adventure Charters in Hood Canal today. The weather was going to be nice, I have a nice new drysuit to break in, I thought, why not? The first dive site we went to was the west wall of Pulali Point. For those that haven't done it, it's a gently sloping wall, starting about 50 fsw, and dropping way off into the depths.

So I'm cruising along with my buddy, we're at the end of the wall and getting ready to turn back. I look up to check where he's at, about 10 feet away, and this six-gill cruises right between us, down into the depths. It was 6-7 feet long, we were at 80 fsw. It was totally cool! $\:D/$

I knew they had been seen in the Canal before, but I didn't expect to see one. It was amazing. :smt038:
Nick

Cwest · Post by **Cwest** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 9:00 pm

AWESOME!!
Anyone else see one?

Joshua Smith · Post by **Joshua Smith** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 11:19 pm

Sweet! Welcome to the 6-gill club! I had a great trip w/ Pacific Adventures about a year ago, and I've been meaning to do another one ever since- they run a great charter.

sparky · Post by **sparky** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 1:08 am

Hey Nick :

thats so kooooollll you get to brake in the new dry suit and see a Six Gill
Ill bet you are wishing you spent a few $$$ in a new Digital Camara huh?

I know how excited you must be I know just thinking about the one Chuck and I seen at Rosie Ravine still gets my heart pumping

makes you want to see more of them dont it ?

it strikes me how some thing so big can be so graceful love how they just glide along what a trate I am tickled for you Bro

Sparky

Sergeant Pepper · Post by **Sergeant Pepper** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 2:31 am

I'm officialy jealous. Congratulations!

Tom Nic · Post by **Tom Nic** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 7:28 am

OK, add me to the jealous category!

Congratulations! (although, we really want a picture!)

Hey, shouldn't there be a tat or something for official induction into the six-gill club?

Also, add me to the excited category since we're doing some survey diving in the Hood tommorrow!

(I know, I know, we're working, not looking for six gills, but Hey! Six-gills happen, don't they?!?)

nwscubamom · Post by **nwscubamom** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 8:00 am

Hey, I talked with Don at length on the phone last night, and he told me of your sighting!!!

Please note that both Don and I are President and Vice President, respectively, of the Never Seen A Six Gill Club. In fact, due to our ground-breaking work in that area, we've both been nominated for leadership roles in the Never Seen A Spiny Lumpsucker Either Club.

Don has over 600 dives in Hood Canal and in spite of multiple sightings of Six Gills by divers off his boat, he personally has not seen one. I have over 600 dives in Puget Sound/Hood Canal (mostly) and have never seen one either.

We both decided that was a major streak we're on and we would HATE to break that kind of record!

Applications for membership in both clubs are now being accepted.

(And Tom, looking forward to our dives on the Hood tomorrow! Yeah, you'll be working, but it's fun too!!! - until you have to do the paperwork)

- Janna

divernick · Post by **divernick** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 8:50 am

thats so kooooollll you get to brake in the new dry suit and see a Six Gill
Ill bet you are wishing you spent a few $$$ in a new Digital Camara huh?

Actually Sparky, I have a digital camera, I just didn't bring it because I was getting used to the drysuit. I thought something like this would happen too. It's always when you don't have a camera that you see the coolest stuff.

Please note that both Don and I are President and Vice President, respectively, of the Never Seen A Six Gill Club.

Yeah, Don mentioned that he'd never seen one when we told him. At the time we were still in the water, and he threatened to make us swim the two miles to the next dive site.

I'm glad he wasn't serious.

Nick

Tangfish · Post by **Tangfish** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 2:10 pm

divernick wrote:Actually Sparky, I have a digital camera, I just didn't bring it because I was getting used to the drysuit. I thought something like this would happen too. It's always when you don't have a camera that you see the coolest stuff.

Nick, you should come diving with me this week, while leaving your camera at home

Congrats on the 6 gill sighting, they're awesome, eh?!

Joshua Smith · Post by **Joshua Smith** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 2:23 pm

Tom Nic wrote:
Hey, shouldn't there be a tat or something for official induction into the six-gill club?

Well, it's actually more of a brand than a tat, but yeah, we mark our own. There's a secret handshake, too. Nick, you'll be hearing from our people soon!

lundysd · Post by **lundysd** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 3:50 pm

I'm so jealous -- I'm still in the 6gill-less club after an entire year..

Next time ya see one, tell him to stay right there, and I'll be right over

GillyWeed · Post by **GillyWeed** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 9:17 am

Please note that both Don and I are President and Vice President, respectively, of the Never Seen A Six Gill Club. In fact, due to our ground-breaking work in that area, we've both been nominated for leadership roles in the Never Seen A Spiny Lumpsucker Either Club.

Ok so Don and Janna.. Can you two be my new dive buddies? I am not in a hurry to see a shark bigger than me! scarry!

BASSMAN · Post by **BASSMAN** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 1:17 pm

Nick!
Right on Dude!

I too, will be added to the Jealous list!

That is so Cool!

Honestly, was there any kind of "Pucker Factor" involved?

I mean I realy do want to see one, but at the same time I think of what is usually involved is ...Deep, Night, Breathing, OMG! factor? Am I Narced, ar is this for real?

"Can I realy swim faster than my buddy?"

Congratulations Buddy!

divernick · Post by **divernick** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 5:22 pm

BASSMAN wrote:
Honestly, was there any kind of "Pucker Factor" involved?

Not really, the whole event didn't last long enough for anything like that. I turned my head and saw this silver mass coming downslope. I was like "What the...," then when i focused on it, it was "omg, that's a sixgill!" Then I watched it for another 4 seconds as it kept swimming downslope. It was still really cool though.

Pez7378 · Post by **Pez7378** » Sat May 05, 2007 4:32 pm

A weeks worth of diving in PI and I barely saw anything bigger than a Small Salmon. Hammerhead point was a bit disappointing. Apparently after the Japanese fisherman came and butchered the fish for their fins its been pretty baren there for the last 6 years or so.

I come home and I have to listen to THIS!!!!!!!

Congratulations on your sighting!

I cant wait until I get to see my first shark. I dont care where its at. Hmmm maybe I should visit the Aquarium.