Monterey Dive Sites

<body bgcolor="#000000" text="#F0F0F0" link="#FFFF00" vlink="#0077FF" alink="#66EE00"> <h1 align="center"><font size="4">Monterey Dive Sites</font></h1> <h2><font size="4">Introduction</font></h2> <p><font size="6">I</font><font size="4">'m only going to list sites that I've dived myself. I just don't feel comfortable telling strangers conditions at a site I haven't been to myself, especially if they're likely to depend on that information for planning their dives. And in case you didn't already read the disclaimer on the Dive Page, go do it, NOW! I advise you not to depend just on my descriptions of these sites as your introduction to diving in Monterey. Have someone familiar with the area go with you, get site orientations,or arrange one of the guided tours from one of the local </font><a href="shop.html"><font size="4">dive shops.</font></a><font size="4"> This guide is only meant to be an aid in helping you pick spots you'd like to dive. I won't list ALL the sites I've dived around here, since some of them wouldn't be much fun to do. A couple are really fun, but not well known, and I'd like to keep it that way.</font></p> <p><font size="4">The sites are divided into 4 categories. The first three categories are for shore dives, and are based on the experience level of the diver. The last is for boat dives. You can scan this guide either by category, or by site. Some of the sites can be accessed from both shore and by boat. I mostly included these with the shore dives, unless boat access is significantly preferable.</font></p> <h3 align="center"><a name="index"><font size="4">Categories</font></a></h3> <div align="center"><center><table border="5"> <tr> <td align="center" colspan="2"><a href="#novice"><font size="4">Novice</font></a></td> <td align="center" colspan="2"><a href="#experienced"><font size="4">Experienced</font></a></td> <td align="center" colspan="2"><a href="#advanced"><font size="4">Advanced</font></a></td> <td align="center" colspan="2"><a href="#boat"><font size="4">Boat</font></a></td> </tr> </table> </center></div><h3 align="center"><font size="4">Sites</font></h3> <div align="center"><center><table border="5"> <tr> <td align="center" colspan="2"><a href="#shale"><font size="4">Shale Beds</font></a></td> <td align="center" colspan="2"><a href="#breakwater"><font size="4">Breakwater</font></a></td> <td align="center" colspan="2"><a href="#mcabee"><font size="4">McAbee Beach</font></a></td> <td align="center" colspan="2"><a href="#hmlr"><font size="4">Hopkins MLR</font></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" colspan="2"><a href="#deep"><font size="4">Deep Reef</font></a></td> <td align="center" colspan="2"><a href="#lover"><font size="4">Lover's Point</font></a></td> <td align="center" colspan="2"><a href="#otter"><font size="4">Otter Point</font></a></td> <td align="center" colspan="2"><a href="#coral"><font size="4">Coral Street Beach</font></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" colspan="2"><a href="#chase"><font size="4">Chase Reef</font></a></td> <td align="center" colspan="2"><a href="#joe"><font size="4">Point Joe</font></a></td> <td align="center" colspan="2"><a href="#cypress"><font size="4">Cypress Point</font></a></td> <td align="center" colspan="2"><a href="#pinnacles"><font size="4">The Pinnacles</font></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" colspan="2"><a href="#still"><font size="4">Stillwater Cove</font></a></td> <td align="center" colspan="2"><a href="#copper"><font size="4">Copper Roof</font></a></td> <td align="center" colspan="2"><a href="#butterfly"><font size="4">Butterfly House</font></a></td> <td align="center" colspan="2"><a href="#carmel"><font size="4">Carmel River Beach</font></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" colspan="2"><a href="#monastery"><font size="4">Monastery Beach</font></a></td> <td align="center" colspan="2"><a href="#lobos"><font size="4">Point Lobos</font></a></td> <td align="center" colspan="4"><a href="mont.html"><font size="4">Back to Monterey Page</font></a></td> </tr> </table> </center></div><hr width="90%"> <hr width="90%"> <h2><a name="novice"><font size="4">Novice Dives</font></a></h2> <p><font size="4">Novice dives are suitable for both novice divers, and more experienced divers who either haven't been in the water for awhile, or have not dived in Monterey before.</font></p> <h3><a name="breakwater"><font size="4">The Breakwater</font></a></h3> <p><font size="4">LOCATION: The intersection of Cannery Row and Foam St.<br> LEVEL: Novice<br> ENTRY: Beach, Stairs<br> DEPTH:10-60ft (3-18m)<br> PARKING: Lots at the breakwater and on Cannery Row. (Metered)</font></p> <p><font size="4">The coast guard breakwater is familiar to anybody who did their certification dives in Monterey. It's used extensively as a training beach. It is therefore usually crowded on weekends and during the summer. The same attributes that make it so popular also make it a good site for the novice diver. The beach has a very shallow slope and the surf is almost always practically nil. The site is bounded by the stone breakwater on the south, and a sparse kelp forest on the north. Lots of sessile invertebrates inhabit the breakwater rocks, and the sand has a large field of the tube anemone <i>Pachycerianthus fimbriatus </i>.</font></p> <p><font size="4">This is the best place to see California Sea Lions. Just swim out towards the end of the breakwater and they're all over the place! Be careful anytime you're near the end of the breakwater though, since boats are constantly coming and going around it. Also, a lot of people fish off the north side of the breakwater, so if you're in close you may run into someone's line.</font></p> <p><font size="4">This is also a good spot for a night dive. Octopi are plentiful here at night, and cruising over the <i>Pachycerianthus </i>in the dark is quite eerie. Navigation is easy because of the bright lights along the breakwater.</font></p> <p><font size="4">Viz isn't the greatest here, but it's almost always divable. There are cold water showers available, a large suiting-up area, and both </font><a href="shop.html#mbd>Monterey Bay Dive Center</A> and <A HREF=" shop.html#aquarius"><font size="4">Aquarius</font></a><font size="4"> dive shop, as well as </font><a href="shop.html#back"><font size="4">Backscatter Photo</font></a><font size="4"> have stores within walking distance.</font></p> <table border="1"> <tr> <th colspan="2"><a href="#index"><font size="4">Return to Index</font></a></th> </tr> </table> <hr width="90%"> <h3><a name="mcabee"><font size="4">McAbee Beach</font></a></h3> <p><font size="4">LOCATION: Behind the Spindrift Hotel on Cannery Row<br> LEVEL: Novice<br> ENTRY: Beach<br> DEPTH: 10-45ft (3-14m)<br> PARKING: You can park in city lots between Wave and Foam St. (Metered)</font></p> <p><font size="4">McAbee is another easy site for a first or second Monterey dive. The beach isn't as shallowly sloped as the breakwater, but it's still an easy entry. There's lots of old junk laying around on the bottom from when the canneries were still open. There is some kelp here, and the typical invert and fish life for the southern bight of the bay. This is also another good spot for a night dive.</font></p> <p><font size="4">Take note of the signs along the city streets that prohibit suiting up. Deal with your gear on the beach.</font></p> <table border="1"> <tr> <th colspan="2"><a href="#index"><font size="4">Return to Index</font></a></th> </tr> </table> <hr width="90%"> <h3><a name="lover"><font size="4">Lover's Point</font></a></h3> <p><font size="4">LOCATION: Intersection of Oceanview Blvd. With 17th St. in Pacific Grove.<br> LEVEL: Novice (North side, Experienced)<br> ENTRY: Beach (North side, rocky)<br> DEPTH: 10-50ft. (3-15m)<br> PARKING: There are two lots, and parking on the street.</font></p> <p><font size="4">Lover's Point is a LITTLE more challenging than the two previous dives. There are three places where you can enter the water. The first, and easiest, is the main beach. This is a wide sand beach that can be reached by a wide concrete ramp that runs down from the park. It's a longer swim from here, but the entry is much easier. </font></p> <p><font size="4">The second entrance is the smaller beach a little farther towards the end of the point. It can be reached by a staircase. The entry is rocky and shallow during low tide, so when it's even moderately rough it can be difficult. Either way, you should swim out away from the point at about a 45 degree angle until your about even with the end of the point, otherwise it's very shallow. Also, when there are waves, this is one of the favorite local surfing beaches, because the waves curl around the point. You should stay away from the rocks when it's like this. You don't want to get pounded by a wave, or nailed by a surfer.</font></p> <p><font size="4">On the north side of the point there is a rocky entry that leads to a more wave exposed, and generally believed to be a better, site. This is a little more challenging than the south side, and should probably be in the &quotexperienced" category.</font></p> <p><font size="4">Lover's Point has an extensive kelp bed in the summer, and it can be a chore swimming out. Take your time and don't wear yourself out. The bottom consists of large granite boulders and reefs interspersed with large areas of sand. The invert cover here tends to be greater than the breakwater or McAbee, and there are large beds of sand dollars in some of the sandy areas.</font></p> <p><font size="4">The farther out you get here, the better dive you're likely to have. In close the rocks are primarily covered with a dense growth of foliose red algae, and not many inverts.</font></p> <p><font size="4">This is another good spot to do a night dive, and if you have a boat that you can launch from the breakwater or the municipal wharf, you can get to the outer edge, particularly the area about halfway to </font><a href="#hmlr"><font size="4">Hopkins</font></a><font size="4">, which is really nice. The city of Pacific Grove is touchy about the effect of divers on the tourists who come to sunbathe. They have had a number of ordinances restricting diving from Lover's Point at different times of the day, week, and year. Frankly, I don't do much diving from the shore here anymore, so I don't keep current with what they are. Check with the dive shop when you get your tanks filled to find out what they are. My impression is that they're not strictly enforced, but better safe than sorry.</font></p> <table border="1"> <tr> <th colspan="2"><a href="#index"><font size="4">Return to Index</font></a></th> </tr> </table> <hr width="90%"> <h3><a name="coral"><font size="4">Coral Street Beach</font></a></h3> <p><font size="4">LOCATION: Intersection of Coral St. and Oceanview in Pacific Grove.<br> LEVEL: Novice<br> ENTRY: Beach, rocky<br> DEPTH: 10-30ft. (3-10m)<br> PARKING: On street</font></p> <p><font size="4">Coral Street Beach has a gently sloping entry, with lots of slick rocks in the shallows, so be careful. It's kind of a swim to the main kelp bed, and it doesn't get below about 30ft. unless you go to the outer edge.</font></p> <p><font size="4">I'm probably not the best person to rate this beach. Every time I've been here it's been surgey and the viz has been poor. However, I know a lot of people who like it here. The bottom topography is certainly interesting, with lots of big rocks and crevices, and the invert cover is good, with more tunicates and bryozoans than at some of the other novice sites. I did see the largest monkey-faced eel, <i>Cebidicthys violaceous </i>, I've ever encountered, while diving here.</font></p> <p><font size="4">It can get rough here, so pay attention to the surf conditions. Remember it's a long walk over slippery rocks till you get deep enough to swim. Not the kind of place you want to get hit by a wave.</font></p> <p><font size="4">The residents sometimes get upset with divers suiting up in front of their houses, so it's a good idea to not change clothes here, and don't set gear in the street.</font></p> <table border="1"> <tr> <th colspan="2"><a href="#index"><font size="4">Return to Index</font></a></th> </tr> </table> <hr width="90%"> <h3><a name="lobos"><font size="4">Whaler's Cove (Point Lobos)</font></a></h3> <p><font size="4">LOCATION: Point Lobos State Reserve. <br> LEVEL: Novice.<br> ENTRY: Beach (concrete ramp).<br> DEPTH: 10-80ft. (3-24m)<br> PARKING: Lot by boat ramp.</font></p> <p><font size="4">Whaler's Cove is one of two places in Point Lobos where diving is permitted, the other being </font><a href="blue"><font size="4">Bluefish Cove</font></a><font size="4">. All entrances and exits MUST be made at the boat ramp. Whaler's is a very sheltered cove that is usually divable in all but the worst conditions.</font></p> <p><font size="4">Whaler's is a spectacular site, with lots of invert and fish life, and a dense kelp canopy. The bottom is predominantly rock with a sand channel running down the center. There's a cave that you can swim through (ONLY on CALM DAYS!), but I prefer to dive the rocks near the outlet of the cove.</font></p> <p><font size="4">Be careful to watch your depth, as it's easy to get deep here, and stay away from the caves on rough days.</font></p> <p><font size="4">Point Lobos is a wildlife refuge, and that includes marine life. It is STRICTLY prohibited to disturb any of the flora or fauna. And yes, that means no fishing or shell collecting. The number of divers per day is also strictly controlled. The limit is 15 dive teams of 2 to 3 divers each. Each diver must present a valid C-card and picture ID to enter, and reservations are an absolute must on weekends and holidays. The number for reservations is (408) 624-8413. You can also </font><a href="http://pt-lobos.parks.state.ca.us/"><font size="4">e-mail in your reservation</font></a><font size="4">. If you get there early, you can usually get in on weekdays without calling ahead.</font></p> <table border="1"> <tr> <th colspan="2"><a href="#index"><font size="4">Return to Index</font></a></th> </tr> </table> <hr width="90%"> <hr width="90%"> <h2><a name="experienced"><font size="4">Experienced Level Dives</font></a></h2> <p><font size="4">Experienced level dive sites are not much different from the novice sites, except they are a little more challenging because of tricky entries, long swims, currents, or greater depths. After you've done a couple of novice dives around Monterey, you might want to try one of these. You should feel comfortable with the local water conditions and your gear before moving up to these sites.</font></p> <h3><a name="shale"><font size="4">The Shale Beds</font></a></h3> <p><font size="4">LOCATION: Off shore of Del Monte Beach.<br> LEVEL: Experienced.<br> ENTRY: Beach or Boat.<br> DEPTH: 30-50ft. (9-14m).<br> PARKING: Along Del Monte on the street.</font></p> <p><font size="4">The Shale Beds is an interesting change from most of the diving around Monterey. The bottom composition here is low shelves of sedimentary rock, instead of granite. Since the rock is much softer, you get a slightly different fauna. In particular, this is a good place to see the pholad, or boring, clams, <i>Chaceia ovoidea </i>and <i>Parapholas californica </i>. Another great sight here is large congregations of the hooded nudibranch <i>Melibe leonina </i>, though I haven't seen this happen for about 7 years now.</font></p> <p><font size="4">The swim from shore can be long (about 200m) and the viz here tends to be poorer than elsewhere around the bay due to the softer bottom. Swim out about 200m from shore, and about as far north of the municipal wharf, till you reach the rather sparse kelp bed on the reef. It's better to take a boat, and launch it from the breakwater or the wharf.</font></p> <table border="1"> <tr> <th colspan="2"><a href="#index"><font size="4">Return to Index</font></a></th> </tr> </table> <hr width="90%"> <h3><a name="still"><font size="4">Stillwater Cove</font></a></h3> <p><font size="4">LOCATION: South of Pescadero Point, by the Pebble Beach Tennis Club.<br> LEVEL: Experienced.<br> ENTRY: Beach (long swim) or boat.<br> DEPTH: 20-90ft. (6-28m).<br> PARKING: Some parking by Beach Club.</font></p> <p><font size="4">Stillwater is another of the sites that can usually be dived when others can't because of bad conditions. To get there you have to enter Pebble Beach, which charges a small fee. You also need to call ahead (408) 625-8507 for permission to dive from the beach. Either that, or bring a boat around from Monterey Bay. The swim out from shore is really long, but the conditions are usually quite calm, so it's no big deal. The bottom is a mix of sandstone and granite reefs and pinnacles separated by sand channels. At the mouth of the cove is the Wash Rock, which offers some of the best sights, and deep water.</font></p> <p><font size="4">This is another site where research is frequently carried out, so leave any man-made stuff you see underwater alone. Don't go near any areas where you see markers or equipment.</font></p> <table border="1"> <tr> <th colspan="2"><a href="#index"><font size="4">Return to Index</font></a></th> </tr> </table> <hr width="90%"> <hr width="90%"> <h2><a name="advanced"><font size="4">Advanced Level Dives</font></a></h2> <p><font size="4">Advanced level dives are only for those who have experience with dives in this area, are in good physical condition, and have been diving for awhile. You should have RECENT (within the last 1 or 2 months) experience with conditions similar to Monterey, and, if at all possible, you should have someone familiar with the site along the first time you go. Advanced sites include places with difficult (read " dangerous ") entries and exits, proximity to great depths, or a combination of factors that make the site more challenging than other sites in the area.</font></p> <h3><a name="copper"><font size="4">Copper Roof</font></a></h3> <p><font size="4">LOCATION: Scenic Drive in Carmel.<br> LEVEL: Advanced.<br> ENTRY: Beach.<br> DEPTH: 10-60ft (3-18m)<br> PARKING: On side streets.</font></p> <p><font size="4">Copper Roof gets it's name from the house that overlooks the site. This place is only divable when it's really calm. Access is from the south end of Carmel Beach. Swimming out from the beach you'll hit areas of low rocky reefs. It is pretty shallow until you get to the outer edge of the site. Consequently it is often very surgey here. There is a lot of the Bull Kelp, <i>Nereocystis leutkenea </i>here, and a dense understory of <i>Pteragophora </i>and the acid kelp, <i>Desmarestia </i>. When it's divable here, visibility is usually pretty good.</font></p> <table border="1"> <tr> <th colspan="2"><a href="#index"><font size="4">Return to Index</font></a></th> </tr> </table> <hr width="90%"> <h3><a name="butterfly"><font size="4">Butterfly House</font></a></h3> <p><font size="4">LOCATION: Scenic Drive south of Copper Roof.<br> LEVEL: Advanced.<br> ENTRY: Beach.<br> DEPTH: 10-60ft (3-18m)<br> PARKING: Side streets.</font></p> <p><font size="4">This is another site that is named for a unique house that overlooks it. Entry is from the beach just north of the house. Like Copper Roof, this site should only be attempted on flat calm days.</font></p> <p><font size="4">The rocky bottom goes from low cobble strewn reef in close, to higher relief rocks cut with vertical channels farther out. The flora and fauna are similar to Copper Roof. Spend time poking around in the many cracks and crevices, and you'll see a wide variety of both fish and invert life.</font></p> <table border="1"> <tr> <th colspan="2"><a href="#index"><font size="4">Return to Index</font></a></th> </tr> </table> <hr width="90%"> <h3><a name="carmel"><font size="4">Carmel River Beach</font></a></h3> <p><font size="4">LOCATION: LEVEL: Advanced.<br> ENTRY: Beach.<br> DEPTH: 10-60ft. (3-18m)<br> PARKING: Side streets</font></p> <p><font size="4">This site is often called Stewart's Point. Like the two sites above, parking is on the streets intersecting Scenic Drive. Don't ruin things for divers here by being inconsiderate of the residents. Don't change in public view, and don't block traffic with your vehicle or gear.</font></p> <p><font size="4">At the north end of the beach is a stairway down. Always enter and exit the water from the extreme northern end, behind the rocky point, as the beach is very steep, and the surf can be really bad. Swim out around the point, and around the kelp as far as you feel comfortable with. The farther out you get, the better dive you'll have.</font></p> <p><font size="4">This site is similar to Copper Roof and Butterfly House. Closer to shore bull kelp dominates, giving way to giant kelp farther out. The bottom consists of large boulders cut by deep vertical channels, and large cobbles strewn between.</font></p> <p><font size="4">Visibility here is usually good, but can be poor after rain due to the outflow from the Carmel River. This is also another very surgey site that should be avoided if conditions are at all rough. I know a local diver who says she was actually shot all the way to the surface from the bottom by the surge here.</font></p> <table border="1"> <tr> <th colspan="2"><a href="#index"><font size="4">Return to Index</font></a></th> </tr> </table> <hr width="90%"> <h3><a name="monastery"><font size="4">Monastery Beach</font></a></h3> <p><font size="4">LOCATION: Highway 1 south of Carmel<br> LEVEL: Advanced.<br> ENTRY: Beach.<br> DEPTH: 20ft (6m)-Deeper than you want to go.<br> PARKING: Along street (Hwy 1)</font></p> <p><font size="4">Monastery Beach is actually two different dive sites, North Monastery and South Monastery. Entry is from one end of the beach or the other, NEVER from the center.</font></p> <p><font size="4">Monastery has a reputation as a dangerous beach. It's often called Mortuary Beach due to the number of deaths that have occurred here. In actuality, it's no more dangerous than the other sites listed in this category, it's just that it's dived more often by people who just aren't familiar enough with local conditions to know when to go somewhere else. Like the three previous sites, you don't want to try this place unless it's fairly calm. Like Carmel River Beach, the beach face is very steep, which makes for a short, pounding surf zone. It's this surf zone that gets people killed. Remember when you stand on the beach to assess the surf conditions, the steepness of the beach puts you much higher than the water level, so the waves will seem smaller than they are.</font></p> <p><font size="4">Always enter the water behind the kelp bed. The kelp actually does reduce some of the power of the surf. Enter with all your gear on and your reg in your mouth. Since this is such a high energy beach, the sand is more like small gravel, and Monastery Beach sand is notorious for its ability to get into everything. Make sure all the air is out of your BC. Walk in either backwards or sideways, carefully timing your entrance with the smaller sets of waves. Since the beach is so steep, and the waves break with such force, there's a good chance you'll fall down. If this happens, turn over and swim like hell AWAY from the beach. The last thing you want to do is to try to stand back up, or get out of the water. This is how people get into trouble here. They get continously tumbled by the surf, and drown. The surf zone is very narrow, and once you get beyond it you're safe, even on rough days.</font></p> <p><font size="4">What I like to do from either end of the beach is to then swim out along the edge of the kelp until I reach the outer edge of the kelp bed, and make my descent there. On the north end it's important to make your descent along a kelp frond, since the Carmel Canyon comes in here, and it's very easy to find yourself dropping into very deep water if you're not careful.</font></p> <p><font size="4">On the north end, this will put you on the wall dropping down into the canyon. The kelp starts growing at about 60 ft (18m), so if you drop down at the edge that's the depth you ought to land at. You can either go deeper then, if you want, or start working your way up. Most of the interesting stuff starts around 45ft (14m) so there's not much point in going deeper. You can work your way up to at least 30ft. (9m) on most days, and if it's really calm you can get much shallower. There is a wash rock in the middle of the kelp, and if you continue ascending along the wall, you'll come right up on it. This can be dangerous if it's rough, so watch yourself.</font></p> <p><font size="4">On the south end, the bottom slopes much more gently. It's characterized by large boulders and narrow channels that are a blast to swim through.</font></p> <p><font size="4">Whichever end you dive, the exit is the same. Come back in behind the kelp. Stop just outside the surf zone and start watching the waves, so you can time your exit with a small set. When you're ready to exit, put your reg in your mouth, dump all the air from your BC, duck down to the bottom, and start kicking in. As soon as you can, start crawling, quickly, out of the surf zone, and keep going till you're completely out of the water.</font></p> <p><font size="4">Be aware that conditions here can change rapidly, even during the time you're under water. Don't just assume that it's going to be calm when you're ready to exit, just because it was when you entered. Try to dive this site as early in the morning as you can, as conditions typically deteriorate as the day progresses. If an emergency does occur, there is a pay phone at the south end of the beach.</font></p> <table border="1"> <tr> <th colspan="2"><a href="#index"><font size="4">Return to Index</font></a></th> </tr> </table> <hr width="90%"> <hr width="90%"> <h2><a name="boat"><font size="4">Boat Dives</font></a></h2> <p><font size="4">Boat dives are sites that are either only accessible by boat, or that are much easier/safer to get to by boat even though they may be accessible from shore. These descriptions are meant for those of you with your own small boats. As such, I've rated all dives at least "experienced" since small-boat diving involves a little more than diving from shore does. You have to worry about different emergency plans, other boats, currents, correct anchoring, etc. Some of these dives might rate a lower classification if you're diving with an experienced and reputable dive charter.</font></p> <p><font size="4">Boats can be launched from either the Coast Guard Breakwater, at the south end of Cannery Row, or from the boat ramp at Wharf #2 (not the tourist wharf). Parking at both places is metered and strictly enforced. Try to get your gear squared away in the boat either before you launch it, or quickly once it's in the water. There tends to be a lot of usage of both these launch areas, and people are not going to want to wait 20 minutes while you block the ramp getting your shit together.</font></p> <p><font size="4">A popular saying where I used to live was that all you needed to drive a boat were the keys and a six-pack. This was a reference to the idiotic, and down-right dangerous, behavior of weekend tourists with new boats and no brains. DON'T LET THIS BE YOU! Learn how to operate your boat properly and safely. Take a Coast Guard course or something before you start trying to prove you're at least as good a sailor as Gilligan. Also, diving from a boat is not simply a combination of knowing how to drive a boat and how to dive. Go with someone who is experienced, and have them go through the specifics of boat diving with you before you head out on your own.</font></p> <h3><a name="hmlr"><font size="4">Hopkins Marine Life Refuge</font></a></h3> <p><font size="4">LOCATION: Between Monterey Bay Aquarium and Lover's Point.<br> LEVEL: Experienced.<br> ENTRY: Boat only.<br> DEPTH: 15-60ft (4.5-18m)</font></p> <p><font size="4">Hopkins Marine Life Refuge is located just off shore of </font><a href="http://marine.stanford.edu/default.html"><font size="4">Hopkins Marine Station</font></a><font size="4">. It runs from in front of Monterey Bay Aquarium all the way around China, or Cabrillo, Point, and out from shore to a depth of 60ft.(18m). It is marked off with large yellow buoys.</font></p> <p><font size="4">HMLR is a marine life refuge. Fishing, collecting, or otherwise disturbing the flora and fauna is STRICTLY prohibited. Also, this is an area of active research by scientists from several different institutions. If, while diving or boating here you come across anything that looks like it was placed there by someone, LEAVE IT ALONE!. Don't touch it, don't even go near it. You risk destroying someone's research that could have taken great time and effort on their part. For these reasons, I strongly suggest that you not dive here. It is open to public access, and you may dive here if you want, but there are just as nice places nearby where you can spearfish if you like, and where you don't run the risk of disturbing someone's work.</font></p> <p><font size="4">The only reason I've included this site in the guide is to suggest that you not dive here. I know it's tempting, but it's really not particularly special.</font></p> <table border="1"> <tr> <th colspan="2"><a href="#index"><font size="4">Return to Index</font></a></th> </tr> </table> <hr width="90%"> <h3><a name="deep"><font size="4">Hopkins Deep Reef</font></a></h3> <p><font size="4">LOCATION: Between the red Mile buoy and the Hopkins kelp bed.<br> LEVEL: Advanced<br> ENTRY: Boat only<br> DEPTH: 75-90ft (23-28m)</font></p> <p><font size="4">Hopkins Deep Reef is a deep granite reef with no kelp cover. Anchor your boat about halfway between the edge of the kelp at HMLR and the big red mile buoy where the sea lions hang out. Line up straight with the back of the yellow wooden building at Hopkins Marine Station.</font></p> <p><font size="4">Deep Reef is actually a series of large granite reefs that run parallel to shore. The reefs are surrounded by a sandy bottom. If you land in sand, with no rock in view, look at your depth guage. If you're below 80ft., you're seaward of the reef. Head toward shore at a NW bearing and you should hit the reef.</font></p> <p><font size="4">This is the best place in the bay to see the giant white anemone <i>Metridium giganteum </i>. They cover the reefs, giving the whole place an eerie feel. It's also a good spot to see the sea pen <i>Stylatula elongata </i>, and, in the summer, the eggs cases of the market squid <i>Loligo opalescens </i>. If you're lucky, you may see the adult squid spawning.</font></p> <p><font size="4">Visibility here tends to be 15-30ft. (4.5-9m). It can get extremely dark and murky here, and bringing a light is a good idea. I have seen it so clear here that you could spot the <i>Metridium </i>while floating on the surface, but that was only once. If you ever see it that clear here, e-mail me right away, 'cause I wanna go.</font></p> <p><font size="4">The biggest hazard here is the boat traffic. To dive here you more or less have to anchor in the boat channel. Fly your dive flag prominently so that even the big boats can see it. It's highly advisable to try to surface along your anchor line. Your boat, with it's dive flag, is your best protection against getting hit, so it would be nice to come up right beside it. Also, there is often a current running here that can carry you quite far from the boat during your ascent and safety stop. If you do surface away from the boat, just keep an eye out for boat traffic.</font></p> <p><font size="4">One word of warning. Divers and dive flags is one area where that "keys and six-pack" syndrome is highly likely to come into play. Despite having a prominent dive flag, I've been buzzed by boats a number of times in the bay. Anytime you're diving around here, and especially at Deep Reef, LISTEN for boats as you're making your ascent. Don't surface if it sounds like one is near, unless you're coming up your anchor line right next to your boat. Boat operators, especially if there's any swell, can't see a diver in the water very well, and could run you down without knowing it till you foul their prop.</font></p> <table border="1"> <tr> <th colspan="2"><a href="#index"><font size="4">Return to Index</font></a></th> </tr> </table> <hr width="90%"> <h3><a name="otter"><font size="4">Otter Point</font></a></h3> <p><font size="4">LOCATION: About 1 NW of Lover's Point.<br> LEVEL: Experienced.<br> ENTRY: Boat. <br> DEPTH: 30-60ft. (9-18m).</font></p> <p><font size="4">Otter Point is the next point down from Lover's as you head out towards the mouth of the bay. Anchor just inside the kelp forest.</font></p> <p><font size="4">The site is characterized by large boulders, with lots of vertical rock faces. During late summer the kelp canopy here gets really thick, and can really make for a spectacular scene when the sun is out and the viz is decent. Invert cover here is really good, and fish are abundant.</font></p> <p><font size="4">Some people dive this spot from shore when the sea is calm, but it's a long swim, and a pain-in-the-butt entry.</font></p> <table border="1"> <tr> <th colspan="2"><a href="#index"><font size="4">Return to Index</font></a></th> </tr> </table> <hr width="90%"> <h3><a name="chase"><font size="4">Chase Reef</font></a></h3> <p><font size="4">LOCATION: Off shore of Coral Street Beach.<br> LEVEL: Advanced.<br> ENTRY: Boat.<br> DEPTH: 50-100ft. (15-30m)</font></p> <p><font size="4">Chase Reef is similar to Otter Point, only more so. The vertical relief is even greater here, with 30ft. rock faces covered with inverts, particularly the coralimorph <i>Corynactis californica </i>, not uncommon. Anchor at the edge of the kelp, and head either into or out away from the kelp forest, depending on how deep you want to go. The outer part of the reef is one of my favorite sites when the viz is good.</font></p> <table border="1"> <tr> <th colspan="2"><a href="#index"><font size="4">Return to Index</font></a></th> </tr> </table> <hr width="90%"> <h3><a name="joe"><font size="4">Point Joe</font></a></h3> <p><font size="4">LOCATION: Just south of Asilomar Beach.<br> LEVEL: Advanced.<br> ENTRY: Boat only.<br> DEPTH: 40-80ft. (12-24m)</font></p> <p><font size="4">Point Joe is a very exposed site with a large kelp bed in the summer. It is only divable when the sea is really flat. Anchor about halfway into the kelp forest.</font></p> <p><font size="4">This is another site with great vertical relief. The giant kelp, <i>Macrocystis pyrifera </i>, tends to be attached to the tops of the large boulders, giving the site a more open feel than some of the other kelp forests around. There is a well developed understory of the stipitate kelp <i>Pteragophora californica </i>here as well. Since this site is so exposed to heavy wave action, especially during winter storms, it has a different look than kelp forests inside the bay.</font></p> <p><font size="4">There are also a couple of wrecks here, although I've never dived on them. The roughness of conditions here quickly reduces such wrecks to little more than debris rather quickly, so don't expect to find an intact hull or anything like that.</font></p> <table border="1"> <tr> <th colspan="2"><a href="#index"><font size="4">Return to Index</font></a></th> </tr> </table> <hr width="90%"> <h3><a name="cypress"><font size="4">Cypress Point</font></a></h3> <p><font size="4">LOCATION:North end of Carmel Bay. <br> LEVEL: Advanced.<br> ENTRY: Boat.<br> DEPTH: 40-80ft. (12-24m)</font></p> <p><font size="4">Cypress Point is the next big point as you head south from Point Joe. It is marked by a large red Coast Guard buoy like the mile buoy off Hopkins and the Point PiÒos buoy. The bottom here is much like that of Point Joe, large boulders interspersed with sand and large cobbles. Like Point Joe, this area is rarely dived. Also like Point Joe, there are a couple of wrecks at Cypress. I hate to give the impression that Cypress and Joe are exactly alike, 'cause they aren't, but it's hard for me to describe the differences in an understandable way. It suffices to say that they are similar, and if you like one, you'll like the other.</font></p> <p><font size="4">I have only dived the south side of the point, but this is only possible when it's exceptionally calm. The other spot that is supposed to be good are the wash rocks far away from the shore on the north side. They are not as treacherous, and can often be dived when the south side can't. Like I said, I've never dived the wash rocks, so I'm only passing on what others have told me.</font></p> <table border="1"> <tr> <th colspan="2"><a href="#index"><font size="4">Return to Index</font></a></th> </tr> </table> <hr width="90%"> <h3><a name="pinnacles"><font size="4">The Pinnacles</font></a></h3> <p><font size="4">LOCATION: Carmel Bay, between Cypress Point and Pescadero Point.<br> LEVEL: Advanced.<br> ENTRY: Boat only.<br> DEPTH: 15->100ft.(4.5->33m)</font></p> <p><font size="4">The Pinnacles is, without reservation, my favorite dive site in Monterey. After passing Cypress Point, heading south, look for the "Castle House". Lined up with that, about a mile offshore there are two large kelp beds (sometimes there's only one). These mark the Pinnacles. The inner pinnacle rises at one point to a depth of only 15ft. (4.5m), while the outer pinnacle goes down to depths over 100ft(32m). The Pinnacles are huge granite outcrops, with large channels cut through them. The walls of the channels are often as high as 40ft (12m) or more, creating the feeling of swimming through a submarine canyon.</font></p> <p><font size="4">The life here seems particularly rich and vibrant, even for this area. Some particular things to look for here are the pink and purple hydrocoral <i>Allopora californica </i>, the stipitate kelp <i>Eisenia arborea </i>, and the Chestnut Cowrie, <i>Cypraea spadicea </i>. While all of these can be found in other places, this is the best place to see them all. This place is just magical on a day with good viz.</font></p> <p><font size="4">Since this is essentially an open-ocean environment, it is not unusual to get big pelagic animals coming through. Keep an eye out for the big jellyfish <i>Chrysaora melanaster </i>and <i>Pelagia colorata </i>, some of which can reach lengths of 30ft. (9m). Also, blue sharks, and, on occasion, basking sharks. Often the surface water here is filled with gelatinous zooplankters. If this is the case, take time during your safety stop to look at all the different forms.</font></p> <table border="1"> <tr> <th colspan="2"><a href="#index"><font size="4">Return to Index</font></a></th> </tr> </table> <hr width="90%"> <h3><a name="blue"><font size="4">Bluefish Cove</font></a></h3> <p><font size="4">LOCATION: Just outside and south of Whaler's Cove.<br> LEVEL: Advanced.<br> ENTRY: Boat.<br> DEPTH: 10->130ft. (9-40m).</font></p> <p><font size="4">Bluefish Cove is the only other place, besides Whaler's Cove, where diving is permitted in Point Lobos. Launch your boat from the ramp at Whaler's Cove and drive around the corner. Bluefish is much more exposed than Whaler's. It is surrounded by steep cliffs that continue underwater to a gently sloping rocky bottom. At the mouth there are pinnacles that are some of the most popular spots for UW photography on the West Coast.</font></p> <p><font size="4">This is one of the most spectacular dive sites anywhere, and shouldn't be missed if at all possible. Remember that this is an exposed site. Conditions may be rough, and it's real easy to get deep here.</font></p> <table border="1"> <tr> <th colspan="2"><a href="#index"><font size="4">Return to Index</font></a></th> </tr> </table> <hr width="80%"> <div align="center"><center><table border="1"> <tr> <th colspan="2"><a href="index.html"><font size="4">Return to Diving Page</font></a></th> </tr> </table> </center></div><hr width="80%"> <p align="center"><a href="copy.html"><font size="4">© Gary Villa, 1995-All Rights Reserved</font></a> </p> </body>