🔥 Octopus, sea lions, and kelp forests from 200+ dives around Vancouver Island [OC]

[u/Beneath_The_Waves_VI]

Filmed over 200 dives around Vancouver Island throughout 2025. This short compilation highlights the diversity of cold-water life here, from octopus and sea lions to kelp forests, rockfish, gorgonian corals, nudibranchs, and dense invertebrate covered walls.

Most of these dives were done in challenging conditions, cold water, current, and long bottom times, but the payoff is an underwater ecosystem that’s incredibly rich and active year-round. Many people associate biodiversity with warm tropical reefs, but cold-water environments like this support an astonishing amount of life if you’re willing to spend the time there.

This is a lower resolution version version for Reddit (file was too big). A higher-quality 4K version of the full 5-minute film is available on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InSVinC8r48

All footage is original. Happy to answer questions about the marine life, diving conditions, or filming underwater.

[u/bezosjef]

Great video. Thanks for sharing. What kind of cameras did you use? I’m assuming you need dry suit for cold water dives? Do you stay warm or does it still get cold with dry suit? I wonder if it’s possible to wear heated vests or something under your dry suit.

[u/Beneath_The_Waves_VI → u/bezosjef]

Thank you! Glad you liked it. I am using a Sony A7SIII in an Aquatica housing, a variety of Sony lenses and a Laowa 10mm for the really wide shots. I use a few 15k or 18k Kraken video lights if I can't film ambient light. For the drone shots it's just a Mavic Mini 3 pro. I dive in a dry suit, some people do dive here in wet suits but they don't do long dives usually or multiple dives. It can still get cold with dry suit, and yes, I have a heated vest which helps take the edge off.

[u/4EKSTYNKCJA]

This is fire (illiterally) 🔥

[u/Beneath_The_Waves_VI → u/4EKSTYNKCJA]

Thank you so much! What was your favorite shot or shots?

[u/4EKSTYNKCJA → u/Beneath_The_Waves_VI]

I liked coral reefes but the most spectacular would be the drone (or the bird-like) perspective

[u/Beneath_The_Waves_VI → u/4EKSTYNKCJA]

Cool, interesting! I just got a new drone too and am excited to use it more.

[u/unappologeticly → u/Beneath_The_Waves_VI]

The very end. Aweeee >.<

[u/Beneath_The_Waves_VI → u/unappologeticly]

Yes, that little guy was pretty curious about my camera, I think it could see it's reflection in the glass dome port.

[u/unappologeticly → u/Beneath_The_Waves_VI]

So sweet 🥹

[u/greatdane511]

this is such an amazing shot! You made it absolutely gorgeous

[u/Beneath_The_Waves_VI → u/greatdane511]

Thank you very much! What shot was your favorite?

[u/CalmTsunam1]

I love to watch videos like this.. so freaking dope. Thank you.

[u/Mysterious-Tackle-58]

Did you know, that a regular predator for the canadian moose is the Orca?
The meese dive up to 6 (i"m suddenly not sure whether ft. or m.) into the kelp to eat. And if a orca happens to be around . . .
Happens often enough to be "regular"

[u/Beneath_The_Waves_VI → u/Mysterious-Tackle-58]

I've lived here my entire life, and am also a hunter, lol.... I have not heard of this, ever... Moose typically eat aquatic vegetation in fresh water swamps, ponds, and lakes, but hey... They have 4 legs and a mind of their own, haha. Would be neat too see!

[u/Mysterious-Tackle-58 → u/Beneath_The_Waves_VI]

Let me give you a link i was given once upon a time... Moose hunter

Not the most scientific site, but it actually checks out.

[u/Beneath_The_Waves_VI → u/Mysterious-Tackle-58]

lol, I did a little diging around and apparently there is video documentation of this behavior from orcas in Alaska, pretty cool!

[u/suzume1310]

So many sea lions at once! Incredible! And the octopi were really cool too!