Ansell Point

Level: advanced

How to get there: Follow Hwy 99 north past Horsehoe Bay. Watch for the road marked *Ansell Point* - turn left. Stay left and follow first left down. Winds down and underneath the railway tracks, go right into cul-de-sac at that point.

Facilities: None. Closest telephones in Horseshoe Bay and Lions Bay.

Hazards: Depth, ferry wake, slippery entry, and the climb down

How to dive this site: Gear up at your car and go down the stairs and trail. Keep going straight into the water- be careful as you climb over the rocks, they can be loose and slippery. Swim straight out a short ways and descend. If you do not find rocks by 40 feet, you have gone too far out - ascend and swim towards shore.

What to see: Going south, there is a stark wall dropping to depths in excess of 140'. Lingcods, cloud sponges, rockfish, grunt sculpins, and seastars of every color make their home here. Anemones. Urchins. A large wolf-eel used to make his home in a cave here but has recently been missing and an octopus has moved in. A mated pair deeper, but you'll have to look for them. Gunnels. Sailfin sculpins. Seapens. The odd dogfish. An octopus in a crack. Occasionally a seal or a ratfish, if you're lucky. During your safety stop, poke around in the rocks - lots of divers lose things in the waves, and there are lots of small creatures to look at.

My tally: 19 dives

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