Browning Wall

Description

Browning Wall looks impressive from the surface. Sheer vertical walls meet a glass smooth water line. You can just tell by looking at the surface terrain that you're about to dive some impressive walls.

Hop off the skiff and you'll be on the edge of the wall. The first part of this dive is rather blah. The well is not well defined at this point and the bottom, or of what is called a bottom, is littered with large boulders. Not much life is on and around these boulders, although you can expect to find tiger rockfish, lingcod, wolf eels and octopus in and on these rocks.

As you progress along the wall, it truly becomes Browning Wall. You'll eventually hit a bottomless vertical wall absolutely covered in vertebrate life. Expect to find all the invertebrates that you'd ever want to see, and then some more.

Location

Directions from Seattle donated by Jeff Rosenfeld (jeffrose@cks.ssd.k12.wa.us)

Basically, you take I-5 to the border. I-5 then turns into Canadian Highway 1. You take it for about 10-15 miles, excuse me 20km (you're in Canada now...) and get off at the exit for the Tsawassen Ferry. I think it's exit 20, but just follow the signs to the Tsawassen Ferry Terminal. Check out their page at http://www.bcferries.bc.ca/index.html for schedules, rates, and other info.

You'll want to take the Ferry to Namaimo (Duke Point Ferry Terminal). It's a 2 hour crossing. You'll want to arrive at least 30-45 minutes early.

Once you're on Vancouver Island, you just follow Hwy. 19 North to Port Hardy. Hwy. 19 is basically the only Island Highway, you're on it tight out of the Duke Point Terminal, and all the signs for it mention Port Hardy. It'll take about 5 hours from Nanaimo to Port Hardy, depending on traffic.

Once in Port Hardy, you want to go to the Public Dock right near I.V.'s Pub. You'll have to get directions from ExtaSea since I don't know the street names.

Comments

Another very cool wall. Very impressive. What can I say, other than I really enjoyed this dive site and had a great dive.

On the Parker's Port Hardy Scale, Parker gives this site two Thumbs Up.