UKDIVING TRAVELSPECIAL
Giant Pacific octopus out of its lair, Flagpole, Hood Canal
Tickled by tentacles
One of the iconic must-sees of the PNW region is the giant Pacific octopus( GPO), and our very first dive, at the tantalisingly named Octopus Hole, delivered on its promise. Shining a torch into a rocky crevice, we were enthralled to find a large eye peering back at us, surrounded by coils of tentacles, with suckers nearly a palm-width across. Ensconced in its den, this individual showed no inclination to come out and play. On subsequent dives, we encountered some more sociable, curious and even friendly specimens, but this was still an exciting first find and we spent some time admiring it before reluctantly leaving it in peace.
Another highlight are the wolf eels( Anarrhichthys ocellatus). Like their Atlantic relatives wolf fish( Anarhichas lupus), these spotty cousins are equal parts charismatic, cute and hideous, but found in far greater abundance. They played a starring role on almost every dive, with multiple pairs nestling together in their rocky homes, russet-brown juveniles tucked into old tyres, or sometimes the odd individual out and about. They are an impressive sight, at nearly 6ft long.
Same but different
Perhaps the most captivating aspect of diving a different cold-water habitat was that it seemed simultaneously strangely familiar and enticingly new. It was almost like entering a dreamscape where everyday objects are transformed into brighter, shinier, fantasy versions of themselves. The humble plumose anemone is a well-known fixture on most UK sea dives; here in the PNW we also encountered a species of plumose anemone – Metridium farcimen – but these ones were almost a metre tall.
Wolf eel, almost as handsome as our wolf fish.
Giant orange sea pen, Alki Beach
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