Snorkelling photos - Vancouver Island

Snorkelling and shallow freediving are amongst the greatest pleasures in my life, and I am blessed to live just minutes from the Pacific Ocean. Whilst you might not associate these cold Canadian waters with a snorkel destination, there is abundant underwater life in the kelp forests and around the many islands nearby. Here are some of my pictures to convince you! These are mostly taken within the top 5 metres, with a maximum depth of about 10 metres, one breath at a time!

Anemones

Green surf anemone	White spotted rose anemone	Rose anemone	Rose anemone (variant)
Painted anemone	Painted anemone (variant)	Short plumose anemone	Giant plumose anemone
Stubby rose anemone	Pink tipped anemone	Moonglow anemone	Moonglow anemone (variant)
Brooding anemone	Orange zoanthids	Crimson anemone	Strawberry anemone
Aggregating pink tipped anemone	Tube dwelling anemone	Spotted pink anemone

Sea stars

Ochre star	Ochre star (variant)	Striped sun star	Striped sun star (variant)
Colourful 6 armed star	Drab 6 armed star	Mottled star	Mottled star variant
Blood star	Fat blood star	Armpit blood star	Dwarf mottled Henricia
Cushion star	Cushion star variant	Sunflower star	Sunflower star variant
Vermilion star	Rainbow star	Giant pink star	Northern sunstar
Bat star	Bat star (variant)	Leather star	Red spiny (Trojan) star
Velcro star	Long armed brittle star	Rose star	Basket star

Sea cucumbers

Orange sea cucumber (tentacles)	Orange sea cucumber (body)	Giant (California) sea cucumber	Giant sea cucumber (with kelp crab)
Pale sea cucumber (tentacles)	Pale sea cucumber (body)	Armoured (pedal) sea cucumber (tentacles)	Armoured (pedal) sea cucumber (body)

Nudibranchs and Berthella

Monterey dorid	Monterey dorid egg casing	Heath's dorid	Noble sea lemon
Hudson's dorid	Nanaimo dorid	Yellow margin dorid	White berthella
Leopard dorid	San Diego dorid	White and orange tipped nudibranch	Frosted nudibranch (white lined dirona)
Clown nudibranch	Red sponge dorid	Opalescent (thick-horned) nudi	Three lined nudibranch
Hooded nudibranch	Shag rug nudibranch	Cadlina Jannanicholsae	Giant white dorid
Giant (rainbow) nudibranch	Giant (rainbow) nudibranch (variant)	Cockerell's nudibranch	Orange peel nudibranch
Branched dendrontid	Diamondback tritonia	Striped nudibranch	Barnacle nudibranch
Golden dirona

Jellies

Fried egg jelly	Red eyed medusa	Water jellies	Comb jelly
Cross jelly	Moon jelly	Oval anchored stalk jelly	Sea nettle

Miscellaneous

Kelp crab	Giant pacific octopus	Harbour seal	Orange cup coral
Shiny sea squirt	Green urchins	Red urchins	Purple urchins
Orange sea pen	Hermit crab sponge	Umbrella crab	Pacific herring
Lined chiton	Lined chiton (variant)	Giant pacific chiton	Lewis's Moon snail
Dogwinkle eggs	Mushroom compound tunicate	Mauve lobed tunicate	Staghorn bryozoan
Puget Sound king crab	Northern feather duster worms	Rock greenling	Pacific sea peach
Red soft coral	Lightbulb tunicates