Bowie Seamount - Diving Explorations and Studies

Diving Explorations and Studies

The shallow depth of Bowie Seamount makes it the only underwater mountain off the British Columbia Coast easily reached using scuba diving equipment. In March 1969, dives were made at the submarine volcano by Canadian Forces Maritime Command divers from the CSS Parizeau during a new study for device package placement. Two dives were made to the summit where monochrome photographs were taken to establish the environment of Bowie's base and some biological tests were gathered to detect possible harmful organisms, including plants, animals, or bacteria. These specimens were identified at the Pacific Biological Station in Nanaimo, creating a list of eleven varieties of sea bottom invertebrates.

In August 1969, Canadian Forces Maritime Command divers made more dives during scientific studies by the Fisheries Research Board of Canada. They recognized the existence of very thick groups of rockfish floating on top of Bowie's flat-topped summit and a variety of bottom life. A number of monochrome photographs were taken and a few seaweeds were gathered for documents, but no species record was created for other types of oceanic life around Bowie Seamount.

In November 1996, a release of the National Geographic Magazine comprised a piece of writing titled "Realm of the Seamount", illustrating dives made at Bowie Seamount by two diving explorers named Bill Curtsinger and Eric Hiner. They explored Bowie Seamount down to depths of 50 m (160 ft) using scuba diving equipment while the slopes of the seamount down to 150 m (490 ft). Images photographed by the two diving explorers featured one of Bowie's rugged peaks covered with thick seaweeds and multicoloured sea bottom invertebrates. Thick groups of young rockfish were detected on Bowie's steep flanks.

Scientist Bill Austin of Khoyatan Marine Lab in the Northeast Pacific looked over a video film earned throughout the National Geographic dives to verify the flora and fauna of the sea bottom surrounding Bowie Seamount. From the video film, Austin recognized some of the most noticeable invertebrates and noted that a few species more regularly occurring between high-tide and low-tide marks and shallow environments were found deeper than might normally be expected, and were bigger than normal.

A team of five divers, led by photographer/videographer Neil McDaniel, visited the seamount August 3–5, 2003 and conducted a biological and photographic survey of the summit down to depths of about 40 m (130 ft). A total of 18 taxa of algae, 83 taxa of conspicuous invertebrates and 12 taxa of fishes were documented, approximately 180 underwater still photographs were taken and approximately 90 minutes of digital video were recorded. Of particular note were the dense schools of rockfish hovering over the summit and numerous curious prowfish.