Anyone dove with the seals in Cape Ann or the vicinity??

[Jonathan Bird]

I have been trying to get out and do this. There are seals around Cape Ann, MA that dive operators have been diving with, as well as seals at the Isle of Shoals in NH. Anyone been on these dives and had good encounters? Got pics?

Jonathan

[Jim Austin]

I did the Isle of Shoals seal dive twice last year with Captain Rob. It's unfortunate he is no longer around, it was a short boat ride from Rye, NH.

The first time, I brought a camera, didn't get any pictures worth showing anyone. We saw planty of seals, but they were usually too far away and/or too quick to get any pictures.

The next outing, I left the camera at home. Big mistake. One seal would not leave me alone. He was constantly following me and grabbing the tips of my fins. I would have gotten some cool pictures.

Jim

[Jonathan Bird]

Hey Jim,
Thanks, so they do come pretty close sometimes. It's always a little bit luck of the draw but in some places they just never seem to come within camera range. Often, dive operators are a bit optimistic when they say the seals "come close" and they don't really understand what "close" means to an underwater photographer (i.e. within 3 feet!)

I'm totally bummed about capt. Rob too. He ran a great boat and what a fantastic guy! Lets hope he starts up with a new boat soon!

Jonathan

[seabreeze]

Hi!

I dive with the seals off Monhegan Island - they're quite accustomed to boats approaching to look at them, as well as regular visits from The Lady Anne with divers.

It's normally the third dive of a day out there - you just anchor yourself to a spot in ~12-15 feet of water at the seal rocks and get quiet, breathing as easily and slowly as possible. The seals usually cooperate and come in for a look. It's a hoot!

Hope to meet up with you all one day soon!

Best - Breeze

[Jonathan Bird]

I've been on the Lady Anne, but we were shark diving. Sounds cool!

Jonathan

[adshepard]

Outside of Lunenburg there is a nice dive site where anywhere from 20 to 30 seals haul out at low tide. Since the locals don't take pot shots at them they are not skittish. I had them swimming between my legs at times. Funniest time was when a buddy and I swam right up to the exposed edge and spooked the lounging seals. We had a crowd of ten plus plunge in the water right around and between us. We were laughing so hard that they heard us on the boat which was a few hundred yards away. Nice warm water up that way too.

Now locally (Eastport/Lubec local) in the Passamaquoddy Bay area there is a haul out spot off Casco Bay Island. The seals seem to be more skittish than those off Lunenburg and I suspect that comes from being shot at by the local salmon cage crews and other fishermen. I've been on boats that have got within thirty or so feet of them. I haven't attempted to dive with them but once I get my hands on a boat it may be possible.

DSDO

Alan

[Jonathan Bird]

Hey Alan,
I have been dying to get out on a boat and see if the seals around Eastport can be approached. We had one buzz us on a dive in front of the house last week, but it went by like a bullet and didn't interact. It was just checking us out quickly.

NS is a long drive man! Not sure I want to head all the way up there to dive with the seals!

Jonathan

[adshepard]

Jonathan -

Why don't we charter a boat next summer and head over to Casco Bay Island. I'm sure we could get others to join in and share the cost. Even if the seals don't interact the diving there is spectacular.

Nova Scotia is a long haul but they have great diving and lots of shore diving options too.

On the subject of seals did you see this?

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=2505269&page=1

Chatham area fishermen are not pleased with their seal population.

DSDO

Alan

Marine Life of Passamaquoddy Bay (http://www.geocities.com/alan.chepard@snet.net/passamaquoddy.html)

[Jonathan Bird]

I love it. The fishermen don't think that maybe a hundred years of raping the oceans with miles of nets, trawlers and draggers has impacted the fish, but it must be a coupole thousand seals spread over hundreds of square miles.

Brilliant.

Jonathan

[jp26]

hi all,
I just found the forums and I wanted to share my movies that I got with my Powershot A70:
http://www.seascape.ns.ca/~jpreen/birdis/index.html
This is at the Bird Islands off Cape Breton a few years ago. They are fairly skittish, but eventually I got lucky enough to get these two encounters.
j