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Life cycle of the rich and famous (and ugly!) In both the American Pacific Northwest and in British Columbia, Canada, the prevailing attitude among divers regarding wolf-eels is that of both affection and protection. Some dive sites, such as Sunrise Wall near Tacoma, are well known as locations where wolf-eels interact with divers and can be hand fed as part of a unique photo opportunity. This is not because they are endangered, but simply because their value as a living resource to divers and photographers far exceeds whatever commercial value the species could possibly provide as a source of food. In the state of Washington, the wolf-eel is now a protected species in both Puget Sound and Hood Canal. In many of the native tribes in the area, the tasty wolf-eel was reserved as a ritual food to be consumed only by a tribal shaman, never by “ordinary” men and women. Throughout history, wolf-eels have been held in deep respect by the peoples of the northern Pacific. Capable of growing to approximately eight feet in length, these massive fish are speculated to live up to 10 years, although documentation of their longevity is currently lacking in available research. The popular name, “wolf-eel,” comes from the large frontal canine-like teeth that these fish use in seizing their prey, mainly hard-shelled crustaceans and invertebrates. The second half of the name, ocellatus, is Latin for “eye-like spots,” which is a pretty apt description of the wolf-eel’s skin. Anarrhichthys comes from the Greek word Anarhichas, which is a Greek fish that the wolf-eel resembles. Its scientific name, Anarrhichthys ocellatus, comes from both Greek and Latin. Divers travel from all over the world to glimpse these fascinating creatures and they go through all manner of underwater gyrations to get the perfect photo that proves that they, too, were able to ∽ance with Wolfies.”Īctually a wolf fish, not an eel, the wolf-eel can be found as far south as San Diego in southern California, then northward to the Aleutian Islands in Alaska.

There’s something about the supremely ugly face of an adult wolf-eel staring at you from its den that will turn an ordinary dive into a great one - poor visibility, terrible weather, rotten currents - all will be forgotten and forgiven once a Wolfie makes a public appearance. Get any group of divers together in the Pacific Northwest and ask them to reach a consensus on what the requirements are for a really GREAT dive, and invariably one of the things they will ultimately agree on is that a wolf-eel will somehow be involved. After much reflection, I’m convinced that the make-up artists for the film MUST have taken their inspiration from the divinely ugly mugs of big male “Wolfies.” Last year I attended a local showing of the Hollywood blockbuster, “Lord of the Rings.” Frequently, the heroes of the film were attacked by masses of hideous, howling and slathering “Orcs.” I was absolutely struck by how much the Orcs resembled one of my favorite underwater creatures here on the west coast, the wolf-eel. Wold Eel • Ugly Man of the Sea • ADVANCED DIVER MAGAZINE • by John RawlingsĪbove: A gaping wound in its forehead providing probable evidence of a lost mating battle, a large male wolf-eel glides past Marine Biologist Tony Parra near South Puget Sound's Sunrise Wall.