Wild Alaska Scuba Diving: Prince William Sound Diving

"Hey, do you need an elevator?"

Standing outside of Valdez Airport with our heap of diving equipment and photography, with no visible means of transportation in sight, this offer from a friendly unknown named Jeff, who was working at the airport, was a music for our ears. We had just arrived after a cross-country flight and it was the beginning of our Alaska diving adventure. The unsolicited offer to drive us to town was emblematic of the kindness and helpfulness we would have encountered throughout our stay here.

Lyrics and photos of Michael Salvarezza and Christopher P. Weaver

Our dive expedition really began the next morning after a restful night in a waterfront hotel. We loaded our equipment, boarded a transport boat and left the port of Valdez at Fidalgo Bay, 3 or 4 hours away. Our goal for this trip was to experience the underwater world of Alaska, to immerse ourselves in the wilds of Alaska and perhaps to find salmon sharks in the Prince William Sound waters.

However, even before arriving at Ravencroft Lodge, our operations base of the week, we found ourselves in the ice-chilled waters near the Columbia Glacier. Icebergs, big and small, of different shapes, sizes and colors, floated in the cold waters. Unlike other arctic regions where we could see groups of seals walking on icebergs, we were greeted at the site of dozens of otters relaxing on these floating ice. The urge to snorkel the icebergs has become irresistible!

Our journey to the lodge continued, with sightings of bald eagles, stellar sea lions and false killer whales that occupied us, as well as our cameras. Finally, we arrived at a well-landscaped open-air pavilion and our attention turned to the upcoming dives.

The waters of Fidalgo Bay are somewhat sheltered between two strips of land and towering mountains, but are open to the exposed stretches of Prince William Sound and may deteriorate rapidly. We were lucky that during our stay in the area, the seas were calm. Our first dive took place directly in front of the pavilion and we were immediately intrigued: a lush seagrass garden was home to beautifully decorated opalescent nudibranchs, small jellies, an assortment of crabs and a variety of starfish while that in a little deeper water, we found vibrant colors. sea ​​star and long sea cucumbers wandering a bed of kelp bull. One of the group's divers located a small Pacific giant octopus, an oxymoron, hidden in a rocky lair. We did not see this individual, but we met one on our last dive of the expedition.

Back in the seagrass we found an old abandoned ore cart, a remnant of the past history of copper ore mining in the area. Ravencroft Lodge is built on a former mine site and, in addition to this submerged cart, artifacts are scattered on the lodge grounds and a short hike through the forest will take visitors to the original mine site. Copper mining occurred mainly in the early parts of the 20th century.^thcentury before being abandoned because of the fall in copper prices on the market.

Before targeting deeper dive sites, we took advantage of the favorable tides to explore a river fed by glaciers where salmon begin their migration from the sea upstream to their preferred spawning grounds deeper into the forests.

Here, in only 5 feet of icy water at 47 degrees, we struggled for the surf to shake in order to stay still and photograph hundreds of chum and pink salmon as they ran in a desperate thrust to cross fallen trees, waterfalls and rocks. travel upstream. Some passed before us at a frantic pace, while others found themselves resting in whirlpools and ponds, as if to catch their breath before making another push upstream. When we returned to our skiffs, we were all exhausted, excited and happy to have witnessed one of the miracles of nature.

Dawn arrives early in Alaska during the summer months and the next day we were awake long before breakfast, eagerly awaiting our first search for the mysterious salmon shark. As we manipulated our cameras and assembled our equipment, we looked in detail at the conditions we were looking for and how to dive with the nerve sharks. According to Ravencroft's experts, we need a flat, calm water to spot the small dorsal fin that runs through it. Once spotted, we must find a "player". It is a shark that is interested in food and is not too fearful to the point of being inaccessible. It may take some time, we were told, and it is indeed the case. In fact, after several hours of research, we found none. This trend will be repeated over the next few days. We saw an individual on the surface, but we never got into the water with another.

Nature is not predictable: an unusually cold summer could explain why we did not find salmon sharks during our visit. Theories explaining why salmon sharks frequent these waters and linger on the surface during the summer months are focused on the temperature of the water. A warm-blooded shark, it is possible that it goes from a deeper and colder water to the warmer surface of the sea. The season to spot them is short, only a few weeks in June and July. Our quest will continue on a future journey in the hope of finally capturing photographs of this elusive creature!

After our search for sharks, we decided to dive into rocky outcrops nearby. On a site called "The Magic Garden", we found huge carpet of Plumose and Metridium anemones adorning the rocks. In addition, we photographed black rockfish and other Alaskan groundfish species. The dive sites here usually consist of rocky terrain sloping up to about 70 or 80 feet deep, then falling into a vertical wall to a depth of 600 feet or more.

The next day, we continued our exploration on several previously unexplored sites. It is always exciting to dive into a new place and see what is below. We were not disappointed. Our first dive put us in a relatively clear water with a beautiful topography of rocks and crevices. We found several doubled nudibranchs, as well as a pair of large nudibranchs with lemon peel. These measured the size of a baseball and were of a striking beauty.

Alaska is known for its huge groups of jellyfish, sometimes called "smack". Indeed, as we explored the second of our "undiscovered" dive sites, we found ourselves in a soup made up of Moon Jellies, Lion's Mane Jellies and big, dreaded Sea Nettles. Protected by a dry suit and a waterproof hood, the only vulnerable point of our body to stings is the area around our mouth … and of course, that's where we got stung! Lion's mane jelly feeds on Moon Jellies and we witnessed, pierced, a slow-motion pursuit led by a lion jelly lion mane unfolding before our eyes. The moon jelly, in this case, avoided capture and swam safely.

Diving Prince William Sound is a very pioneering dive. The dive is done according to the schedules and wishes of the wilderness of Alaska. Sometimes salmon sharks are there, sometimes they are not. Sometimes, large amounts of moon jellies so thick that you can lose sight of your friend a few meters from you appear and sometimes they do not. Visibility ranges from a few feet to 20 meters and divers who do not monitor their buoyancy can easily lift silt clouds unintentionally. The weather in Alaska plays an important role in what is happening on and under the water. This is the essence of adventure!

As we continued to explore the waters of Prince William Sound, other dive sites led us to encounter colorful decorating crabs, crinoid groups, and scallop rafts that danced and wandered away from each other. the approach of our cameras.

Our last dive of the trip put us face to face with a fish from the red Irish lord who was threatening to the bottom, waiting for his prey. But it was the sight of a giant Pacific octopus in a rocky crevice that made diving interesting. As he watched us from the safety of his lair, the octopus seemed to be measuring us. What were these strange creatures blowing bubbles? Are they a danger? The octopus decided we were … and stayed safe in his rocky house. We decided to respect his wishes, to climb upstream of the dive boat and to start planning our return trip.

To make it there
Visitors must plan to arrive at the Anchorage International Airport. From there, it will take you five to six hours to drive to Valdez or a short 30-minute flight aboard RAVN Air, a national regional carrier. Please note that RAVN aircraft have small luggage compartments, which requires travelers to check in large carry-ons at an extra charge. Divers should plan to arrive in Valdez one day before scheduled pickup time. The only access to the lodge is by seaplane or boat. A water taxi to the lodge can cost $ 700. So be sure to be in town in time for the planned lodge pick-up.

Diving and accommodation
Accommodation in Valdez can be found at several hotels. We recommend the Best Western for its friendly staff, excellent service and proximity to the wharf where boats are.

Ravencroft Lodge is a fishing and diving lodge located in Fidalgo Bay. It is the only dive operator in the area. Dive safely, because the nearest recompression chamber is in Seattle!

http://www.alaskasharks.com

When should we go
The only diving season in Alaska is in the summer, usually June and July.

Motto
US dollars and major credit cards are accepted at the lodge and Alaska.