SIMPSON ISLAND or DIVING THE NUB

The Nub , at least that's what we all called it. An island unto itself at high tide but tethered to Simpson Island by a gravel beach at any other. From half tide on that gravel beach provided protection from the ever present tidal current thus creating a prime anchorage. In days of yore, a protected anchorage twinned with a respectable wall made The Nub a frequent dive destination for the legendary dive tender Pegaris.
Several dives on Simpson Island's Nub made for some memorable experiences. My log book though descriptive can't recreate the feelings nor frame the pictures conjured up by the words , The Nub. The wall is a joy to dive. Easy access and easy navigation . A back roll off the boat and to the bottom , putting the wall on your right shoulder going out and on the left returning. What could be easier ? While cruising the wall you'll see great sponges some tinted brown with sediment. Take time to fan this stuff away and watch the colour change to yellow. Look too for Burrowing Anemones. These delicate creatures seem to be nothing more than wispy tendrils growing from the sandy bottom. I've always wondered what the rest of their bodies looked like.
When the talk amongst divers turns to creature encounters I often share some Simpson Nub experiences. For several consecutive seasons The Nub had a resident troll living at the base of the wall. This troll bore a passing resemblance to a lobster but does your average lobster go three to three and a half feet in length ? Not in my Sobeys store they don't. And do lobster have horny white knobs scattered randomly about their bodies ? Do lobster have cracked and peeling shells like the flesh on those villains in teenage slasher flicks ? Well this one did. Another oddity popped up at The Nub as well. An octopus of all things. Not the octopus from some story book but rather a tiny lifeless cephalopod from the deep. This unfortunate did not survive the change in lifestyle that a change in of a couple of hundred feet can cause.
Out of Water World this dive site continues to amaze. An osprey nest for example , made partly from a large orange tarp , acts as a beacon or range marker for The Nub. On Simpson Island proper there is a vertical shaft excavated many feet down through solid rock disappearing finally into water. Hidden by tall spruce and fir , there seems no explanation for its presence. And what are those large rusted pieces of metal work anyway ?
These words and phrases really do little justice to The Nub. A good solid dive with photo ops and topside attractions make it worth a boat charter. The relative ease of diving coupled with quality and quantity of marine life make it attractive to divers of varied ability levels. Simpson Nub, ask your local dive store guys, they'll know what you mean.

Enjoy diving

Story supplied by: David Logan