Bizarre encounters with Steller Sea Lion at Possession Pt Pk
Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2014 12:02 am
Bizarre encounters with Steller Sea Lion female at Possession Point Fingers south end of Whidbey Island.
I have made two dives on Tuesday 10/21/14 at Possession Point Fingers and had very strange encounter with Steller Sea Lion female.
At the end of the first dive in a bit silted surface water I noticed that huge body going around me. I am ~200 pound 6 feet tall but she was much much bigger than me. Probably 9 feet long.
I shot couple of pictures and did not think much about it.
I am posting only one of four due to poor visibility at the surface. Better pictures will come next from the second dive.
Make sure you click on each picture once to enlarge and second time for max resolution.
As I was using 32 % Nitrox my plan was to go again to 90 feet depth and slowly ascent from there taking pictures. I had surface interval of about 1h 45 min.
I started second dive, as soon as I reached 90 feet depth (about 15 minutes into the dive) I was harassed and intimidated by this huge animal. What I find really bizarre, she was either hitting with her body the shelves around me with violent moves or just flushing the walls with water. The effect was stirring up the silt around me. OK I read many books and only have heard about Steller Sea Lion friendly curiosity, nothing like this.
It was clear that she did not want me to be there. I thought, OK maybe she has a pup in the area and motherly instinct tells her to protect. I tried to move as slowly as possible and be not threatening to calm her down. I also tried to move through the trenches and crevices to NE part of Possession Point Fingers to where I originated the dive.
The Steller Sea Lion continued to bounce around me and stirring up the silt. I could also feel the pressure of water wave though she did not make any direct physical contact with me that I am aware of.
There was a moment during the dive I noticed and picked up an old rusty rod. I though first if this will escalate to physical contact then I can try to keep the Sealion away with it but then I thought if it is motherly instinct I would not want to harm the mother.
I dropped the metal rod down and started thinking that one of the 10 commandments says: “Thy shall not call the name of thy Lord / God in vain.”
O Lord, am I still safe or shall I ask for your help ? Or, this is the time you want me to end my earthly endeavor?
When I reached 20 feet depth I paused for a while without moving much.
I thought to myself now I am much closer to the surface with more natural light, I should be safer now.
However she decided to add a new intimidating tactic to the repertoire.
I looked at her when she was coming towards me with a great speed she thrashed the bubbles right into my face (over the camera) and immediately went up with such an agility that my camera only captured the following picture of her back flippers and the trace of bubbles dispersed by her body. After being intimidated continuously for 25 minutes which in my mind lasted entire eternity I had enough and finished the dive after only 40 minutes (I usually dive on 130 CF tanks and stay down between 1h to 1.5h depending on depth).
I finished the dive with more than 1000 PSI.
Later I walk entire beach as far as I could both ways as it was relatively high tide and could not see any signs of any Sea Lions nor pups neither on the water surface nor on shore.
I was left with several impressions:
1) We are so clumsy and vulnerable in the water
2) Our frontal vision is no match for peripheral vision of true Marine Creatures
I know she could have easily harm me if she wanted.
She could come from any direction unnoticed.
It was such humbling experience.
My heart was pumping heavily and I do not remember when last time I had such a lousy SAC rate.
I talked to Jan K who dives Possession Point Fingers much more frequently than me and who inspired me to dive many Magical Whidbey Island Sites. I have learned and continue to learn so much from him.
He was diving Possession Point Fingers just one day before and said that he never encountered anything similar. Most of his encounters were that Sea Lion just passed by so quickly not even allowing him to take a picture
I also was left with such a burning desire to understand why she acted like this ?
What I or any other Diver who may face similar encounter in the future can do better?
Have you ever encounter anything similar ?
Final note:
I went back to the book I have "Beneath Cold Seas" by David Hall on page 108 he describes his encounters with Stellar Sea Lions in British Columbia.
I started laughing reading it. Just to quote a fragment:
"Safely back on Mamro (dive charter boat) I finally had time to reflect. I had been diving for more than 30 years and had photographed many large and potentially dangerous animals. Yet never before had I voluntarily left the water during highly productive shoot, with loaded camera and plenty of air in my tank".
O gosh, I exactly know what David Hall felt !
I just felt so uncomfortable to stay any longer in the water being continuously harassed by the Sea Lion for 25 long minutes and a fear that it may escalate to some physical contact which could easily end up fatal for me.
One difference though he was surrounded by friendly crowd of Steller Sea Lion females trying to investigate a newcomer. Those were accustomed to frequent Scuba diver visitors.
I was harassed by aggressively behaving single female Steller Sea Lion probably not accustomed to any scuba divers before. Maybe that is why such a bizarre behavior. I wonder if we ever will find the answer.
All pictures taken with SeaLife DC1400 Camera. Sea Dragon 2000 video light. Two SL961 Digital Pro Flashes on extended arms. SL975 Underwater Fisheye Wide Angle Lens.
I have made two dives on Tuesday 10/21/14 at Possession Point Fingers and had very strange encounter with Steller Sea Lion female.
At the end of the first dive in a bit silted surface water I noticed that huge body going around me. I am ~200 pound 6 feet tall but she was much much bigger than me. Probably 9 feet long.
I shot couple of pictures and did not think much about it.
I am posting only one of four due to poor visibility at the surface. Better pictures will come next from the second dive.
Make sure you click on each picture once to enlarge and second time for max resolution.
As I was using 32 % Nitrox my plan was to go again to 90 feet depth and slowly ascent from there taking pictures. I had surface interval of about 1h 45 min.
I started second dive, as soon as I reached 90 feet depth (about 15 minutes into the dive) I was harassed and intimidated by this huge animal. What I find really bizarre, she was either hitting with her body the shelves around me with violent moves or just flushing the walls with water. The effect was stirring up the silt around me. OK I read many books and only have heard about Steller Sea Lion friendly curiosity, nothing like this.
It was clear that she did not want me to be there. I thought, OK maybe she has a pup in the area and motherly instinct tells her to protect. I tried to move as slowly as possible and be not threatening to calm her down. I also tried to move through the trenches and crevices to NE part of Possession Point Fingers to where I originated the dive.
The Steller Sea Lion continued to bounce around me and stirring up the silt. I could also feel the pressure of water wave though she did not make any direct physical contact with me that I am aware of.
There was a moment during the dive I noticed and picked up an old rusty rod. I though first if this will escalate to physical contact then I can try to keep the Sealion away with it but then I thought if it is motherly instinct I would not want to harm the mother.
I dropped the metal rod down and started thinking that one of the 10 commandments says: “Thy shall not call the name of thy Lord / God in vain.”
O Lord, am I still safe or shall I ask for your help ? Or, this is the time you want me to end my earthly endeavor?
When I reached 20 feet depth I paused for a while without moving much.
I thought to myself now I am much closer to the surface with more natural light, I should be safer now.
However she decided to add a new intimidating tactic to the repertoire.
I looked at her when she was coming towards me with a great speed she thrashed the bubbles right into my face (over the camera) and immediately went up with such an agility that my camera only captured the following picture of her back flippers and the trace of bubbles dispersed by her body. After being intimidated continuously for 25 minutes which in my mind lasted entire eternity I had enough and finished the dive after only 40 minutes (I usually dive on 130 CF tanks and stay down between 1h to 1.5h depending on depth).
I finished the dive with more than 1000 PSI.
Later I walk entire beach as far as I could both ways as it was relatively high tide and could not see any signs of any Sea Lions nor pups neither on the water surface nor on shore.
I was left with several impressions:
1) We are so clumsy and vulnerable in the water
2) Our frontal vision is no match for peripheral vision of true Marine Creatures
I know she could have easily harm me if she wanted.
She could come from any direction unnoticed.
It was such humbling experience.
My heart was pumping heavily and I do not remember when last time I had such a lousy SAC rate.
I talked to Jan K who dives Possession Point Fingers much more frequently than me and who inspired me to dive many Magical Whidbey Island Sites. I have learned and continue to learn so much from him.
He was diving Possession Point Fingers just one day before and said that he never encountered anything similar. Most of his encounters were that Sea Lion just passed by so quickly not even allowing him to take a picture
I also was left with such a burning desire to understand why she acted like this ?
What I or any other Diver who may face similar encounter in the future can do better?
Have you ever encounter anything similar ?
Final note:
I went back to the book I have "Beneath Cold Seas" by David Hall on page 108 he describes his encounters with Stellar Sea Lions in British Columbia.
I started laughing reading it. Just to quote a fragment:
"Safely back on Mamro (dive charter boat) I finally had time to reflect. I had been diving for more than 30 years and had photographed many large and potentially dangerous animals. Yet never before had I voluntarily left the water during highly productive shoot, with loaded camera and plenty of air in my tank".
O gosh, I exactly know what David Hall felt !
I just felt so uncomfortable to stay any longer in the water being continuously harassed by the Sea Lion for 25 long minutes and a fear that it may escalate to some physical contact which could easily end up fatal for me.
One difference though he was surrounded by friendly crowd of Steller Sea Lion females trying to investigate a newcomer. Those were accustomed to frequent Scuba diver visitors.
I was harassed by aggressively behaving single female Steller Sea Lion probably not accustomed to any scuba divers before. Maybe that is why such a bizarre behavior. I wonder if we ever will find the answer.
All pictures taken with SeaLife DC1400 Camera. Sea Dragon 2000 video light. Two SL961 Digital Pro Flashes on extended arms. SL975 Underwater Fisheye Wide Angle Lens.