Possession Sound Shark Research: Dives 6-10 Updates

By: Mikayla Monroe
August 20, 2019

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Site 2 on the Southeast side of Hat Island was not as advantageous as we had hoped, so we scouted a site farther north in search of a rockier sea floor (Site 3). We discovered boulders and logs covered in anemones and were convinced to relocate the bait once again. From a research perspective, it’s common to conduct multiple trials; so why not examine multiple locations in search of sixgills?

Each dive starts by going down the buoy line until we reach the bait box at the bottom. We wait patiently for 20-40 minutes, then motor around to find anything lurking just beyond our marked spot. While we haven’t found sixgills quite yet, the salmon and halibut bait from Wild Salmon Seafood Market has attracted loads of crabs and spotted prawns, in addition to squid, rockfish, skate, and Spiny Dogfish sharks, a relative to sixgills. We also found octopus, jellies, and anemones in transit to and from the bait site.

We’ve had the pleasure of hosting several Mission Specialists to experience dives with us. A Mission Specialist is a part of the crew throughout their dive day, listening in during the Dive Pre-Brief and Debrief and performing a variety of tasks while enjoying their dive:

• Scanning sonar for animals or geologic formations
• Identifying and recording marine life
• Responding to Communications Checks with the Topside vessel
• Taking pictures and videos for media footage

If you would like to join us for a dive or are looking for more information, email [email protected] or call 425-595-5017.

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