The first time I saw a giant Pacific octopus it was fall 2013. I was scuba diving in British Columbia at Dillon Rock, and I was very nervous. I had encountered small octopuses before, but this one was enormous. Its mantle alone was the size of two basketballs, and I would guess its reach from tentacle tip to tentacle tip was around 11 to 13 feet.

Of course, my nervousness was just an effect of the unfamiliar. GPOs, as they are called, are smart; they can be unpredictable, and they are very strong — like, rip-your-mask-off-with-no-problem strong. I had no previous experience with a big octopus, and this one was by far the largest I’d ever seen. However, like all fears of the unknown, mine quickly dissipated as I got a feel for this magnificent animal’s behavior. While other small octopuses I had seen tended to hide or scurry away, this one seemed unfazed by my presence, and even curious about my strobes. My nerves turned to total excitement before long, and to this day it is one of my favorite animal encounters. But British Columbia scuba diving is not just about weird encounters with alien creatures — it is an experience with dense life on reefs as colorful as you’d see on any dive in the South Pacific.

British Columbia’s most renowned diving takes place at a spot appropriately named God’s Pocket, located on a small private island near the northeast tip of Vancouver Island. Vancouver is one of the islands in the Inside Passage, a coastal route that stretches from southeastern Alaska through western British Columbia to northwestern Washington state. I dived both British Columbia and Alaska for this assignment, and photographed bright-red soft corals, basket stars, huge vibrant-yellow sponges, giant plumed anemones, red Irish lords, lingcods, wolf eels, bladder kelp, Puget Sound king crabs, sea jellies and a rich diversity of rockfish — just to name a few. If you are searching for a new dive adventure, the Inside Passage is full of colorful surprises.

Scuba Divers Guide to the Inside Passage

Average water temp 45 to 50 degrees F
What to wear Drysuit
Average viz 30 to 40 feet
When to go April to May; August to October >> For more information, go to sportdiver.com/britishcolumbia.

DON’T-MISS DIVES

Fantasy Island

This is the place for divers looking for wolf eel encounters. Not far from God’s Pocket, on the northeast side of Vancouver Island, this dive features big rock piles at 65 to 85 feet, where wolfies can be found just 20 feet from one another. On a recent dive, I counted six separate dens, all within a 60-foot swim of one another.

Browning Wall

When divers speak of British Columbia diving, this is the dive they are likely to mention first. Located near God’s Pocket, Browning Wall is a sheer wall filled with lots of color and life. It’s accessible to a variety of skill sets, letting divers delve toward deeper waters, hitting about 100 feet, or find their groove in the shallows.

Norris Rocks, Hornby Island

For divers who are in the mood to get nibbled on by a 1,000-pound animal, this is the dive site for animal encounters. Located just offshore of east-central Vancouver Island, the area is filled with playful, sometimes arguably too playful, Steller sea lions. (And if you’re looking for a great photo op, they love cameras.)

DIVERS DAY OFF:

Flourishing with life, the forests and waterways that surround dive-friendly God’s Pocket Resort beg to be explored. Aside from diving, one of the best ways to take in the area is to kayak along the nearby coves or beaches. To tackle even more dry time, the trails found behind the resort will lead you through lush, temperate rainforests filled with huge, moss- and lichen-covered spruce trees.

Along the east side of Vancouver Island, an easy way to arrive to the area is through the town of Nanaimo. Once here, the best place to pull up to the bar for a beer and a bite is at Carlos O’Bryan’s, located on the water in the Nanaimo Marina.

The town of Campbell is another must-see stop. Campbell is a sizable town with great shopping and restaurants, but it is also the gateway to Strathcona Provincial Park and the Discovery Islands — a group of small islands jammed between Vancouver Island and mainland British Columbia. While here, pack your visit with a great day-hike, bike-trail or kayak excursion.

If you happen to be in Campbell in the fall, you’ve arrived just in time for the salmon run. Hire a local guide to take you snorkeling with the salmon as they fight their way upstream.