Make friends with anemones in Powell River

Posted by Powell River Living Magazine on Apr 22, 2016

If you grew up in Powell River, or you have kids who explore the beaches in Powell River, you’ve probably stuck your finger in an anemone – those sticky flower-looking creatures that hide in the cracks or burrow in the sand at low tide. You may have spotted the burrowing green anemone in the sand below the sea walk, or in a tide pool at Donkersley Beach.

Or maybe you’ve seen the pink-tipped anemone in the rocky tide pools at Dinner Rock. Or maybe you’ve watched the show plumose anemone feeding on the pilings or the sides of the docks at the marina or Willingdon pier.

But did you know that there are much larger cousins of these little anemones hiding in the deep around Powell River?

Diver and photographer Sean Percy captured images of a few of these deeper-dwelling species on recent dives in Jervis Inlet:

Crimson anemones and orange zoanthids share space on a wall off Captain Island.

A crimson anemone and a longhorn decorator crab work together. The crab gets protection and shelter and both get scraps when the other captures prey.

Another crimson anemone, and a diver, and, if you look really closely a fish called a black-eyed goby.

Giant plumose anemones grow up to a metre tall and can live for over a century.

They are usually white or orange.

This painted anemone is in a healthy spot where it must be catching lots of food. They can live for nearly a year without food, but won’t grow. This one has grown large. It catches prey with stinging tentacles, then drags the food its mouth in the middle.