Swim 4: Golden Gardens Left Rocks #3
7-3-09
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 85 Degrees
Water Temperature: 53 Degrees
Water Surface: Calm
Water Vis: 40 feet.
Current: Fast
Wetsuit: 4/3 Rental
A blue-green paradise for shy fish and crab.
This was our third time at Golden Gardens and our best trip yet. It’s right here in Ballard and outfitting at Cheka Looka is so easy and inexpensive, that this seems like a natural place for me to test out theories on the art of Snorkeling Seattle. I’m always glad to stop in there because they seem so interested in the project that it feels almost like a duty to check in and report my progress to them.
What is it??
Seriously...It's cool but...
Neat Thingy
Today we were testing the notion that conditions along the rocks improve greatly at high tide. So we put out at Golden Gardens again at the climax of high tide to see if it makes a big difference. Indeed it did. Within minutes of getting in the water we were sighting all kinds of amazing varieties we had not seen in our earlier runs.
Just 50 feet out from the put-in where the beach meets the left-rocks, we ran into a school of what I think were smelt in a bait-ball dense school unlike anything I’d ever seen.
Going along the rocks, it just got better. Strange creatures that I can’t name roamed a scenic blue-green wonderland that fluttered within inches of my face. Again we saw Pen-point Gunnels in the rocks, much more fish, and many fewer crab. Those crabs that were to be found were confined to the sandy bits, way out from shore and a little too close to the boat traffic for my comfort. None of the big ones were out, but we soon found out why.
As we neared the pier I came upon a disturbing image. There was something large and white at the bottom, a shark perhaps? Then as I got closer I saw it was a dead dog-fish that had been cut up and discarded there. As I looked up onto the pier, the many lines of crab-pots told the story. These fish remains served to lure the crabs out to where nearby fishers could catch them in their traps.
Safety Note: Swimming near shore and piers is dangerous enough but without a dive knife it’s suicide. Be sure to get a good quality dive knife that has a notch in it for cutting line before you go out. You might consider taking two.
Tags: Ballard, Golden Gardens, Good Swim, Left Rocks
