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含羞草研究社檚 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.

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

含羞草研究社淪o I immediately, when I got home, posted it to iNaturalist and the Field Naturalists of Vancouver Island Facebook page,含羞草研究社� 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 含羞草研究社� a deep sea organism 含羞草研究社� listed on iNaturalist.

含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 not a normal species you see here so it was very cool to see,含羞草研究社� 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.

含羞草研究社淭hey are kind of uncommon in our area,含羞草研究社� 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.

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

含羞草研究社淭hese things come in cycles but for this particular animal, we含羞草研究社檝e been pretty much seeing it sporadically in our sampling since 2015,含羞草研究社� she said.

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

含羞草研究社淭his is interesting that you see these. There含羞草研究社檚 no way you should be snorkelling in 300 metres, this is not their area,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淭hey don含羞草研究社檛 have the ability to navigate stronger currents.含羞草研究社�

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

含羞草研究社淭hese are all deep water so there含羞草研究社檚 something in this movement of water that causes some sort of welling that brings water from deep, I think,含羞草研究社� she said.

With more people spotting deep water critters coming closer to the surface, and washed on shore, there含羞草研究社檚 more to see.

It含羞草研究社檚 the only oddity so far for Brulot-Sawchyn.

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

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