Although salmon sharks are usually what initially lures adventurous souls to the Prince William Sound area, there is so much more to see and do both above and below the water. Scuba diving in the area is very unique, offering diverse dive sites that include large plumose anemones, sloping underwater rock formations, pinnacles and kelp forests that host an abundance of marine life. Some of the popular sites include the Ravencroft dock where you can find an array of small subjects including hooded nudibranchs, colorful shrimp, decorator crabs, and an abundance of bottom dwelling fish to keep even the most seasoned macro photographer busy. Larger subjects like the colorful Irish lord, sculpin, rockfish, halibut and giant Pacific octopus may be spotted on any given dive. 

Another favorite dive site is Manomi’s Rocks, a dive site I discovered and is named after my wife. This site is an amazing forest of large 3 to 4 feet towering plumose anemones on top of a large rock formation a few feet below the surface at low tide and an interesting underwater sloping ledge full of life leading down to a large sea grass meadow with more plumose anemones.

One of the most out-of-this-world-experiences is diving in a moon jellyfish (aurelia aurita) bloom so thick it blocks out the sun. It is a natural phenomenon for jellyfish to congregate in huge numbers to reproduce, but it has been happening every summer with increased frequency. According to Boone, the blooms have been getting larger over time. This may be in part due to increasing water temperatures as well as overfishing of jellyfish predators. Like any imbalance in an ecosystem, an excessive amount of these jellyfish can deplete tiny zooplankton that other animals and small fish rely on, thus potentially disrupting the overall food chain.  

In the evenings after dinner, there were plenty of opportunities to explore the wildlife on and around the water. In Port Fidalgo, it is very common to see curious harbor seals and large rafts of sea otters laying on their back, some with young pups resting on their chest. Alaska also has a healthy population of bald eagles, and they can be seen nesting in trees or actively hunting fish. The surrounding areas are also home to bears, river otters, and a myriad of other wildlife. 

Boone fondly shares memories about times when they saw hundreds of salmon sharks and spotted their dorsal fins in front of the lodge as they sipped their morning coffee. Over the last decade, the salmon shark population in the area has significantly declined from sport fishing pressures and commercial by-catch. Unfortunately, Boone now sometimes struggles to locate more than a handful of sharks. He has attempted to educate the locals on the importance of salmon sharks and their decline over the years, but has faced many challenges.