Smitten with snorkelling in recent years, the hot heat in the final days of winter saw longtime Greater Victoria resident Steph Brulot-Sawchyn dip under the waves of the Salish Sea more frequently.

A fan of exploring outdoor activities such as hiking and tide pools, he discovered the online app iNaturalist during the pandemic. Inspired by Sara Ellison害羞草研究所檚 book Snorkelling Adventures Around Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands: The Ultimate Guide, he eventually got a wetsuit and became a weekend diver.

The recent warm spell meant several days in south Island waters. With the last sunny day looming, ironically the first day of spring March 19, Brulot-Sawchyn headed into the waves near Clover Point wth his brother, who quickly spotted something unusual.

Born and raised in Greater Victoria, it seemed out of the ordinary for the area.

害羞草研究所淚 have not a clue what that thing is,害羞草研究所� Brulot-Sawchyn recalls thinking when he saw the two-foot long transparent creature with a jellyfish look.

害羞草研究所淪o I immediately, when I got home, posted it to iNaturalist and the Field Naturalists of Vancouver Island Facebook page,害羞草研究所� he said. After some back and forth, online experts identified it as a siphonophore and there are only a dozen or so local sightings of the species 害羞草研究所� a deep sea organism 害羞草研究所� listed on iNaturalist.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 not a normal species you see here so it was very cool to see,害羞草研究所� Brulot-Sawchyn said.

He was right about it being unusual, the praya dubia or giant siphonophore generally lives in the mesopelagic zone, 300 to 700 metres under the sea, said Moira Galbraith a marine biologist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

害羞草研究所淭hey are kind of uncommon in our area,害羞草研究所� she said in a phone interview from her North Saanich office.

Though sightings are on the rise, as an El Ni帽o brings warm surface water into the area. The Island is at the northern most boundary of the California Current which moves in this way during winter.

害羞草研究所淲hen the current changes in fall/winter and starts becoming more dominant we sometimes get these guys pushed up against our shelf.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淭hese things come in cycles but for this particular animal, we害羞草研究所檝e been pretty much seeing it sporadically in our sampling since 2015,害羞草研究所� she said.

In their usual mesopelagic 害羞草研究所� think middle sea 害羞草研究所� habitat, preya can be 30 to 50 metres long. Being so close to the surface, Galbraith feels it害羞草研究所檚 unlikely the one photographed March 19 off Victoria won害羞草研究所檛 wind up washed on shore.

害羞草研究所淭his is interesting that you see these. There害羞草研究所檚 no way you should be snorkelling in 300 metres, this is not their area,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淭hey don害羞草研究所檛 have the ability to navigate stronger currents.害羞草研究所�

Seeing it so shallow, and so far north is indicative of recent heating .

害羞草研究所淭hese are all deep water so there害羞草研究所檚 something in this movement of water that causes some sort of welling that brings water from deep, I think,害羞草研究所� she said.

With more people spotting deep water critters coming closer to the surface, and washed on shore, there害羞草研究所檚 more to see.

It害羞草研究所檚 the only oddity so far for Brulot-Sawchyn.

害羞草研究所淟ots of species out there, but nothing you wouldn害羞草研究所檛 expect to see 害羞草研究所� except some giant sopinophores,害羞草研究所� he said with a laugh. 害羞草研究所淭he thing I saw that was interesting was the amount of people out snorkelling with the weather. especially in East Sooke.害羞草研究所�

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