Deadman’s Reef is among the best beach dives in all Laguna Beach, perhaps all of Orange County. Blizzards of fishes swirl about and the majority of marine species common to southern California waters can be found there. Marine life rivals that of great dive sites out at the Channel Islands, and water clarity is often on par with Catalina Island. So what’s the flip side? You’ll have to do a bit of work to get there, as the reef is about 300 to 400 yards […]
Repeatedly diving a particular location has its benefits. You get to know the “lay of the land,” individual animals, seasons, and ecological shifts. But at Little Corona the ocean throws something new at us every time we dive there. Our first dive there years ago produced a huge horn shark at over four-feet long. Subsequent dives over the years have produced large halibut, big bat rays, marauding sea lions, dolphins, diving cormorant birds, as well as the more common but just as delightful congregations of […]
We headed out for Laguna Beach on a bright sunny morning with the intent of diving Shaw’s Cove. I love diving Shaw’s Cove. Problem is, so does everybody else. With no parking available we headed in the direction of nearby Diver’s Cove. To my pleasant surprise there was a parking spot directly in front of the short stairway to the beach. Silly as it might sound, this is how our dive site was chosen this day by availability of parking. Along this relatively small section […]
Divers who enjoy hunting their own seafood from South Orange County waters should consider a trip to Corona Del Mar State Beach. While this beach is part of the Crystal Cove State Marine Conservation Area, spearfishing of finfish as well as hand grabbing lobster and urchin hunting is allowed. And it is also an appealing dive for sightseeing or practicing underwater photography. Spearfishers will find hunting the barred sand bass — relatives of the coveted calico, or “kelp” bass — the most rewarding. Some are […]
It had probably been about seven years or more since we’d visited Moss Cove, so I was excited to visit the area again, especially since it’s been a part of the new Laguna Marine Protected Area (MPA) for several months. Formerly a popular hunting area, I wondered if its new protected status would yield an uptick in biomass after only a short time. The first thing I noticed in the shallow area is that the kelp forest appeared to have grown. Was this a result […]
Artificial reefs are nothing new to Southern California, but the Wheeler North Reef in San Clemente raises the bar in terms of its size and scope. Named after Wheeler J. North, a noted marine biologist who studied California’s coastal kelp forests, its creation stems from a 1989 Marine Review Committee report that found the cloudy water discharged by the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station’s (SONGS) cooling system drifted south, blocked sunlight from a natural kelp bed and damaged about 180 acres of the habitat. […]
While it can hold its challenges, beach diving California can be very rewarding and even easy. There are several advantages to beach diving. First of all it is cheap! For the cost of an air fill and perhaps some quarters for parking you can have a great underwater experience. The schedule is flexible. If you want, you don’t have to get up at 0-dark-thirty to catch the boat. Sleep in a bit then hit the beach. Or perhaps you don’t have an entire day to […]
Five years after the 58-foot, steel-hulled A.C.E. drum seiner sank off the coast of San Clemente, a team of divers from Beach Cities Scuba (BCS) recently located it and prepared the site for recreational diving. Now buoyed about five miles south of the Dana Point Harbor, the A.C.E. offers divers an opportunity to explore a new wreck that’s roughly halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego. Completely intact and resting on its port side with her mast pointing away from shore, an ecosystem is thriving […]
For many years I’ve heard about diving under the Newport Pier. I was never keen on the idea. It’s surrounded my surfers and sand, and protected by a curtain of fishing poles. Three years ago, my friend Jim, finally talked me into it. “We’ll make a quick dive before work,” he said. I work 10 minutes from there. So what, I’ll be a little late?” Upon arrival, my expectations held. Lots of surfers, lots of sand and lots of fisherman. The upside was, it was […]
Where coral reefs abound, a typical shallow coral reef formation is what is known as “spur and groove.” With the “spur and groove,” fingers of reef extend out from shore with sand “grooves” in between. Sometimes the space between the reefs is very narrow making deep crevice-like passages. Life covered mini-walls often abound. The closest resemblance to this formation that I have seen in California are the reefs at Fisherman’s Cove, Laguna Beach. Now mind you, we do not have coral reefs in California. This […]
