| Date Reviewed: | January 2002 |
|---|---|
| Location: | Central Hood's Canal |
| Access: | boat dive |
| Site Description: | sloping cobblestone bottom |
| Main Attraction: | squat lobsters |
Triton Cove is located about half way down the west side of Hood's Canal. I dove this site in January of 2002 and chose to dive this site based upon the review in NW Boat Dives, which complimented the site's marine life and rock structure.
The site is very close to the Triton boat launch, which is located in a nice little park located just off of Highway 101. In fact, the dive site is so close to the boat ramp that on a calm winter day (when there is no boat traffic), and ambitious diver who doesn't mind a very lengthy surface swim could swim out 700 yards or so to the rocks located just north of the boat ramp and dive this site. But I would have to ask why would they do this when there are many vastly superior dives on the Canal. I must say I was very disappointed with this site. We anchored off of the east side of the rocks in about 20 fsw, and were greeted by a gently sloping cobblestone bottom, with occasional patches of leaf kelp. That's all the terrain had to offer us where ever we swam - endless cobblestones and kelp, all the way down to about 60 fsw with no end in site. There might be more kelp here in the summer, which would offer refuge for more marine life, but even with that I would have a hard time diving this site again.
As far as the marine life is concerned, there were a few sea stars, some beautiful large fish-eating anemones (Fish-Eating Urticina), a few juvenile rockfish, the ever-present Hood's Canal gobies, a few perch, and countless shrimp. The highlight of this site for me was chasing around countless Squat Lobsters, which are cool little critters. These shy little shrimp scatter quickly anytime you try to get a macro lens framer near them. I have not noted these critters elsewhere in the Puget Sound. At this site, they were under almost every kelp leaf below 30 fsw. With their red shells and long red arms trailing behind them as they quickly dart off backwards, they almost look like a small Red Octopus. It just goes to show that if you look around enough, you can always find something to entertain you on a dive!
Although I will do any dive that boasts good marine life once, I would much rather expend a tank of air at Sund Rock or Octopus Hole than dive here again.
