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Cape Ann
Dive Conditions
There are two diving seasons on Cape Ann, May through October “Summer” and
November through April “Winter”.
Summer diving has water temperatures ranging from 44 - 60 degrees
Fahrenheit. Diver’s who have dry
suits usually wear them year round, and wetsuit divers are comfortable with a
two piece 7mm (14mm on your torso) neoprene wetsuit, hood, boots and
gloves. Visibility ranges from
15 - 40 feet. The summer marine
life is abundant. Schools of
Pollock, Striped Bass, and Dogfish swirl through the water column, and
Flounder, Skate, Sculpin, Sea Ravens, Ocean Pout and of course Lobster hide
among the rocks and kelp. It is
not unusual for divers to do two dives of about 45 minutes to an hour this
time of year.
Winter
diving’s water temperatures range from 45 - 28 degrees Fahrenheit, and
visibility from 0 - 60 feet. We
tend to have more storms during this time of year, so visibility is
frequently reduced. However, when we do get a quiet spell, the water becomes
gin clear, revealing panoramic views of your favorite dive sites. Divers are wearing dry suits, and usually
do one dive instead of two. The
marine life isn’t quite as varied this time of year, the fish have moved on,
but the invertebrate life can be quite pretty. We also have Harbor seals that visit during these months.
The
following articles about diving Cape Ann were written and photographed by
Dave & Sue Millhouser. Many of their articles have been published in
Magazines such as SCUBA Times, Discover Diving, and Underwater USA They have
graciously allowed us to reprint them here for your enjoyment.
Weekender, The Wreck of the
Chester Poling
Dave
& Sue Millhouser
Descending through the green algae bloom
like an airplane letting down through clouds, suddenly at about 30 feet, we
broke out of the haze. The water cleared dramatically... and spread below us,
as far as we could see, was the spectral wreck of the Chester Poling.
Approaching from the stern, it looks like she's under way.
Upright and nearly intact, the Poling sits on a white sand bottom in 90 feet
of water, off Gloucester MA., or
at least half of her does.
Snapped in two by a vicious Nor'easter in
January of 1977, her Mayday set in motion a heroic rescue effort that saved
all but one of her 7 man crew. The bow
turned turtle, sinking in deep water, but the 165' stern section
drifted close ashore.
Pulling down the line, we passed one of
her twin stacks. There were a few anemones growing on the outside.. but the
opening was full... a bouquet.
The fantail's deck structures remain as
they were. Chafing gear, winches and bollards are eerily intact, ready to tie
up one last time. The life boat launching mechanism stands on the deck where
seamen waited for a swinging
helicopter basket... and where one missed... and died.
Moving forward, there is a companionway
that leads to the crews quarters and engineering spaces. Though not terribly
complex, it's still best left to experienced divers.
Just ahead a number of hatches that
provide direct access to the engine room. You can drop vertically all the way
to the space between the 2 big diesels. Although there's some silt at the
bottom, there's no reason ever to lose sight of your entrance.
Forward of the stern superstructure is
the tank deck. Running it's length, all the way to the broken end, is the
catwalk. Perhaps the most stunning part of the wreck.. every square inch is
covered with colorful marine growth... a photographers paradise.
The hull has settled into the sand to her
normal water line. The broken end is spectacular, clean and sharp, a 20'
vertical drop to the sand bottom. The most attractive parts of the wreck only
require a 75' dive.
A real treat even for folks who dive just
for the beauty of marine life, often the first sign that you're over her is a
tremendous school of Pollack that shows up on the depth finder. The 281 foot
coastal tanker was an ugly duckling during 50 years of seafaring.. but in her
final resting place has become a tribute to nature's artistic ability.
Weather permitting, visibility can be as
much as 70' during Winter and Spring. Summer's algae bloom drops the average
to 30 feet or so. No experience in diving has moved us as much... as the
feeling of descending through haze to the thermocline, and breaking into gin clear water with
Chester Poling visible below.... looking for all the world like she's under
way to some ghostly port.
SIDE BAR:
Chester Poling rests off Gloucester
harbor, less than 15 minutes from where many of the charter boats dock.
Situated on Cape Ann Massachusetts, 30
miles northeast of Boston,
Gloucester, the nation's oldest fishing harbor, boasts a wide variety
of things do. From shopping and whale watching to fishing, wind surfing and
swimming, there's lot's to do for the whole family.
Accommodations range from seaside luxury
hotels, to campgrounds, with
similar range in restaurants. Summer weather is usually good, but Spring and
Fall often provide the best diving (and pricing). Winter can provide spectacular visibility for the hardy.
In addition to the Poling, a number of
wrecks are spotted around the Cape's rocky shores, as well as a huge variety
of beach diving and snorkeling.
Regardless of wind direction, there is a usually a safe place to dive.
New England's Wall Dive Halfway Rock
Dave and Sue Millhouser
Warships! Nerves were stretched taut as
the rigging on the Constitution, as lookouts called out bearings and distance
on the pursuing ships.
Under normal circumstances, the two
rapidly approaching British warships would pose minimal danger, if she
couldn't outfight them both, then she would easily outrun them.
April 4, 2024 wasn't a normal day for the
American ship. She'd just made landfall at Cape Ann and turned southwest
towards Boston, when she spotted two sets of sails, hull down on the horizon.
Although this had been one of the war's most successful patrols, harassing
British shipping in the South Atlantic, Constitution was limping home with a
cracked mainmast.
The frigate Constitution was a uniquely
American creation, big and fast. One of the "fearsome 44's", she
could outgun or outrun anything the British Navy had. Her hull design was far
ahead of its time, a precursor to the Clipper ships 20 years in the future.
Only a massive "Ship of the
Line" dared slug it out, but none could catch her. So feared were these
American 44 gun frigates, an order had been circulated to all British
captains... under no circumstances should they engage Constitution or her
sisters, unless they had two or more vessels.
They had two..... Junon and Tenedos. With
a damaged mast, Constitution lost the speed and maneuverability that made her
such a dangerous opponent. Enroute to blockade the port of Boston, the
British crews were electric with excitement at the possibility of taking one
of the big Americans.
For the first time in a distinguished
career, Constitution was in trouble.... and for the only time... she ran.
Turning southwest towards Boston, Captain Charles Stewart piled on all the
sail she could take. The crew franticly lightened ship, pitching over the
side water casks, food, and in a last desperate measure.. the alcoholic
"spirits".
As she rounded Halfway Rock, a freshening
breeze gave hope. Captain Stewart, who went on to be one of Constitution's
greatest skippers, was too experienced to trust a single gust, and gave up on
reaching Boston, using the wind to scoot into Marblehead Harbor... only about
2 miles from the rock.
Marblehead had no fortifications, but the
British didn't know that. Townsfolk left church services to get their
muskets... intending to defend her from the hills overlooking the harbor. The
British stayed offshore. When the breeze was right, Captain Stewart sailed
quickly to nearby Salem, and hunkered down under the guns on Juniper Point.
Constitution waited till Junon and Tenedos gave up, and sailed to Boston for
repairs.
Halfway Rock has seen it all. The name
comes from being almost exactly halfway between Cape Ann and Boston, it's
been a crossroads of New England sea travel for 450 years. On a clear day
Boston is visible southwest, Gloucester to the northeast.
Several of the historic fishing schooner
races included the rock as part of the course. International yacht races have
used it as a finish line. In 1898 the paddlewheeler Portland steamed past,
all lights ablaze, before disappearing forever into the great blizzard that
was later named after her.
The rock hasn't changed.. in a famous
painting called Constitution Escapes to Marblehead the 1814 Halfway Rock
looks exactly as it does today. Constitution's wake smacked into a cleft on
the north side that drops into the water... and continues down for 80 feet.
As you leave the surface, it descends
vertically through an inter tidal zone of swaying kelp and Pink Hearted
Hydroids to a bare rock surface. It's not bare for long.
Huddled groups of Frilled Anemone appear,
brown bodies with their white tentacles reaching for plankton. Eyed Finger
Sponges stick up like brown Saguaro cactus'.
Under the thermo-cline, suddenly the wall
becomes a pink blanket. As far as you can see, the granite is covered with
puffs of soft coral. In some of the few open spots, there are a few bright
red and white Tealia, the largest local anemone... able to sting and eat
fish. Stalked Tunicates bob and
weave in the surge, while their squat red Sea Peach cousins just sit.
During the summer, when you can finally
make yourself turn away from the wall, there is usually a school of Pollock
swirling just off the rock. Fluorescent Comb Jellies often speckle the water
column.
And turn you should... this is the place
where you see the occasional Big Guy. The last bit of land before the
Continental Shelf.. once in awhile such pelagic giants as Basking Sharks and
Giant Ocean Sunfish happen by.
The New England version of Wall Diving...
Halfway Rock attracts a stunning quantity and variety of marine life. It's
the only place in the region where you can go nearly vertical, from the
inter\tidal zone to 100', almost without swimming. Valve some air from your BC and ease on down.
As you near the bottom, there are big
overhangs, and small caves. Lobsters cower deep in crevasses, and Cod hide in
holes (sometimes like Ostriches... with their head in and tail sticking out).
Like jet fighters, Dogfish flash into view and disappear into the dark.
Since the rock is several miles offshore
(Marblehead is the nearest town) visibility is often significantly better
than beach dive sites. Often during the summer, it exceeds 30 feet beneath
the thermo-cline, and winter can be better.
One of Halfway's charms is that it has
something to offer every skill level. Snorkelers enjoy paddling in the cleft,
and can often see the divers exploring below them. A majority of the walls
most beautiful creatures can be seen in the top 40'.
For the more adventurous, having the wall
for reference makes doing deep dives a bit safer. Near the bottom there is
little color, but Sea Raven's, Skate and Ocean Pout prowl about. Once you've
passed 80 feet, the rock begins to taper out onto a flat bottom that
resembles a parking lot on a cold rainy night.
130 feet is possible. In New England
diving, "deep", "dark" and "cold" are
interchangeable adjectives. Narcosis seems to come earlier in cold water.
Most of the really attractive sedentary
marine life is found on the Northwest side's vertical wall. This is probably
because it's protected from the surge of the thunderous winter storms that
often pound Halfway from November to May.
Some divers circumnavigate the rock, or
concentrate on the grottos of the western side. There seems to be less
quilting of marine life, but fish are everywhere.
Halfway Rock is a wall dive in every
sense of the word. It rises like a monolith from 130 feet, the surrounding
bottom is flat gravel or granite. The top of the rock juts 10 to 20 feet
above the surface, and is about 60 feet in diameter. Roughly circular, it
drops off steeply at every exposure.
The northwest side is nearly vertical, with overhangs in some spots.
Current is not usually a problem here....
but it's always smart to check. There have been a few unwelcome surprises,
followed by long swims. Keep the Dive Tables in mind. Many New Englanders
don't often dive deep enough to get into decompression trouble. This is one
of the places where you can... if you don't pay attention.
During the 450 years that western
civilization has existed in New England, this rock has been a reference point
for travellers. When the Pilgrims passed, on their way to fish Cape Ann, when
East Indiamen returned to Salem laden with oriental treasure, when convoys of
troopships formed up for the long haul to Europe in two World Wars... it
looked as it does today.
There are few places left that have seen
so much history, yet remain unchanged. From season to season, and year to
year, the marine life adapts... animals and colors ebb and flow... but the
rock is the same. Not just for Westerner's 450 years, or the Native
American's 1,500... but for eons.
Only for the last 40 years has it been
possible to see the remarkable beauty hiding just beneath the surface,
unsuspected by all those generations.
New England's Stealth Fish
By
Dave and Sue Millhouser
One of New England's most interesting
forms of marine life manages to be, at the same time, stealthy as a Ninja
warrior, and outrageous as a punk rocker.
Sea Ravens (Hemitriptus Americanus)
conceal themselves artfully in the kelp catching food merely by inhaling
unsuspecting fish that dawdle by. Divers can be within inches of one without
suspecting a thing (a fatal mistake for a small fish). Even when you're
looking for them, they can be hard to spot. Despite varying in color from blood red to chocolate
brown...purple or yellow, more often than not, they see you long before you
see them. Away from the concealment of kelp, these creatures look more like a
punk rocker than a fish.
Sea Ravens are part of the Sculpin
family. Their relatives range all the way from the bottom of the deepest
fresh water lake in the world, to the coral reefs of Australia. One member of
this family is found at the bottom of Lake Baikal in Russia, another is the
poisonous Stonefish of the Austro/Asian coral reefs, and yet another is the
beautiful Lionfish of the Red Sea and Indian Ocean.
The Sea Ravens pictured here can be found
from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the Chesapeake. These were photographed in
the shallow waters of Massachusetts Bay, but others have been found at 600
foot depths off the Canadian fishing grounds. Almost always found on rocky
bottoms, concealed in kelp, they appear to prefer water colder than 60
degrees, and seem to move farther offshore as water temperatures climb during
the summer.
These fish are interesting to photograph
because of the way they react to perceived threats. When attacked by
something he can't (or won't) outrun, a Raven swallows large quantities of
water, swelling to what he hopes is intimidating size. Like many other
threatened fish, he raises the dorsal fin, but his is unique. Split into two
segments, the rear half is fleshy and soft, but the front, extending all the
way forward of the gill slits, is very bony and sharp. The spine of the dorsal
is covered with a mucous rich in bacteria, so any cut you get is likely to
become infected.
The Raven's unique appearance sets it
apart from other members of the Sculpin family. Distinctive features include fleshy,
leaf like tabs on the head and jaw, the ragged outline of the first dorsal
fin, and the prickly texture of the skin. The head is large, with bony
protuberances. The eyes continue in the pattern of skin coloration (and can
produce haunting photographs).
A voracious eater,... not only does he
inhale small fish, he eats whatever invertebrates can be found on the bottom.
An impressive mouth, with several rows of teeth, enables him to eat sea
urchins, mollusks, crustaceans ... and almost any bait offered.
One of the Raven's virtues is that he
stays put (presumably figuring he's not been seen). This makes him a
wonderful photographic subject, he models tirelessly.
It comes as a surprise to discover that a
fish so lacking in overt charm would be very choosy. The male fertilizes
15,000 or so eggs inside the female. She then searches for a particular kind
of finger sponge (Chalina). Every time she finds one she feels is
appropriate, she deposits 250 or so of the fertilize eggs at it's base.
That's a great deal of work, and allot of chasing around. Normally the eggs
are laid between October and December (could it take that long to find the
sponges?), hatching in March.
Sometimes growing as large as two feet,
and 5 pounds, the Sea Raven is supposed to be good eating. He's not harvested
commercially because, like most Sculpin (and unlike the writers), he has more
bone than meat.
If you dive the Atlantic very often
you've surely been close to Ravens many times. There are few experiences that
rival the feeling you get when a piece of kelp turns into a large fish, and
swims off. Raises your heart rate every time.
Look for them next time out. The effort
involved is sure to pay off. Even if you never spot a Sea Raven, your
explorations of the kelp will surely turn up other interesting types of life
seeking protection in the vegetation.
Top of Page
Paddock Rock From Underwater USA August 1993
 Only
a diver knows the feeling. A backward roll off a boat anchored in the open sea....
descending to a bottom that's never been seen before... with only a guess at
what you'll find.
The dive began as a dark spot on the chart. Steve Smith, Captain of
Gloucester based Cape Ann Diver, noticed a small area where the bottom
appeared to rise from 78 feet to 13... quickly. It only took a few passes
over the area before the depth finder spiked, the anchor was dropped and
backed tight. For better or worse, we were hooked on "Paddock
Rock".
The name doesn't turn up in any local histories, so we know nothing of it's
origin. Visibility was 40 feet, with a bare granite bottom easily seen. It
was the second dive of the day, suiting up went quickly... and quietly. None
of us had ever been here before, or heard of anyone who had. Even though we
were only a couple hundred yards from a popular site called "Egg
Rock", this was unknown territory.
As we pulled down the anchor line towards the rocky bottom, everything looked
pretty much as expected. Bright sun on light granite, with a variety of
brightly colored Northern Starfish. The anchor was trapped by a small shelf
near the top of the submerged rock, so we ascended as we passed it. Up over
the top, and down the sloping seaward side.... pretty much as expected.....
until... the whole world disappeared into a black hole. The slope became a
sheer drop, and then an overhang. From 30 feet to 78, the drop was more than
vertical. Once our eyes adjusted to the darkness, it became clear it wasn't
just a wall, but a huge crevasse. The bottom was white rippled sand, and on
the other side another wall rising almost as steeply towards the surface.
The boat's depth finder hadn't even hinted at this. The trench went farther
than the eye could see, both to the left and to the right. It was as if we'd
stepped off the rim of the Grand Canyon, the chasm so uniform it might have
been cut by God's own trenching machine. Both walls were covered with soft
corals, sponges and anemonae. Fan Worms (Christmas Tree worm's plain cousins)
dot the wall, and one diver reported the "Mother of all Scarlet
Psolus". These bright red relatives of the sea cucumber aren't that
rare, but it's nice to find them in an area where they're not covered with
silt. Cunner flitted in and out of holes, like tiny advance men for the
lobster who will move in later this Spring. The sun and surface seemed a long
way off, viewed from the bottom of the 20 foot wide chasm.
Valving air into our BC's to slow the descent, we drifted slowly downward,
and rode a gentle current along this giant natural mural. Bottom time was
short, the day's first dive had been on a fairly deep wreck, and this dive
had become deeper than we'd planned. There was no opportunity to explore
either end of the trench, or do much more than cruise briefly and head back
to the anchor line and home.
Who knows if others have been in this trench. If they have, we'd never heard
of it. For thousands of years it's been there, pretty much exactly as we saw
it. Dozens of times we've cruised near, or over it... never suspecting.
Few other sports offer this kind of opportunity... a chance to be the first
person ever to see a part of our world. There's nothing quite like it. How
remarkable that, for us, it happened so close to a part of the country that's
been heavily populated for 350 years.
"Paddock Rock" shows clearly on the charts near "Egg
Rock", off the coast of Manchester, Massachusetts. Egg Rock extends 20
feet or so above high tide, and is a fine dive site, with smaller walls,
nooks and crannies on the seaward side. Both are a short run down the coast
from the mouth of Gloucester Harbor.
Part of the excitement of diving in this part of the world is returning to a
place repeatedly, through the seasons, getting comfortable enough with it to
notice small changes, new life. Certainly we hope to make Paddock Rock one of
those spots.
An even greater source of excitement, and adventure, is finding new
places.... descending in mystery to see things that may never have been seen
before. A rare privilege that divers and a few others can know. How many other
places, just as spectacularly beautiful, are within a few minutes boat ride?
Wherever you live and dive, once in a while take the time to explore that
unusual blip on the depth finder, or a remote piece of shoreline. Who knows??
GETTING THERE
30 miles northeast of Boston, sticking like a thumb into the Atlantic, Cape
Ann offers a variety of beach and boat diving, with plenty to do for
non-divers. Paddock Rock is only a few minutes run from the mouth of
Gloucester Harbor, and is very close to a number of well know dive sites and
wrecks.
Rockport and Gloucester have a number of fine motels and restaurants. For
non-divers (or tired divers) there is sightseeing, fishing and whale
watching. A number of dive boats operate out of Gloucester MA, and can be booked
through Cape Ann Divers, the full service dive shop in Gloucester (978 281
8082). Some run 7 days a week, and accept walk ons. Most are licensed for 6
divers, so it's best to call ahead.
There are several boat ramps on Cape Ann, the closest to Paddock Rock is at
the Gloucester High School. Although it's clearly marked on the charts,
you'll need both a good depth finder, and pilotage skills to find the rock
the first time.
Dave & Sue Millhouser
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