Dive Sites:  Bird Rock/ Isthmus Reef/ Eagle Reef

 

Swell:  Moderate decreasing to minimal by days end

Surge:  none

Viz:  40 to 60+

Temps:  64/64/63/63 Suunto

Depths:  74'/ 73'/ 85'/ 65'

 

I was out to dinner Friday night with some friends in Long Beach when I was invited to go on a boat to Santa Barbara Island (leaving late Friday night/ returning Saturday night).  I couldn't resist the offer since I had my 'gear' in my car.  Thanks to my friend for the loan of surfer shorts and a T-shirt for a mock bathing suit (long dress and matching shoes, just not boat wear~LOL), we had a delightful time at CATALINA ISLAND.  The boat attempted to get around the island, but the swells were big and mighty.  We woke up anchored in Two Harbors instead of Santa Barbara Island.

 

We attempted Ship Rock, but the current was 'rippin' so we opted for Bird Rock instead.  There was even a mild current there, but didn't deter us from making our first dive.  My buddy and I dove the vast walls on the backside of  Bird Rock.  So beautiful!  Amazing wall covered in vast colors of gorgonian sea fans.  We came upon our usual swim through at 55', but to my dismay, there was a gorgonian growing smack in the middle!  So needless to say, we skipped the swim through.  In backing out though, we got a glimpse of several BIG BUGS...I would say 5 pounds or greater; a couple of Cabezon; and some rock fish.

 

For our second dive, we checked out Blue Cavern/ Sea Fan Grotto/ and Crane Point, but unfortunately, conditions were still pretty poor with lots of surface chop, swells, and currents.  So...again, we went back towards Two Harbors, this time diving the Isthmus Reef.  It was iffy at this point if we were going to be able to do a third dive or not.  Turned out that Isthmus Reef was beautiful!!!  I have dove here before, so I knew it pretty well.  Again, I really enjoyed exploring the rocky reef leading to the wall that drops off to the sand.  We saw quite a few morays, bat rays, sea hares, and a Leopard Shark!  Speaking of the sea hares, we noticed a chain of them...about 12 or so doing the 'Hokey Pokey'.  We also noticed 'Sphaghetti' like eggs on the giant kelp fronds.  Anyone know if these eggs are from the giant Sea Hares?  They were everywhere!

 

By the end of our second dive, conditions calmed down a bit, so we moved the boat to Eagle Reef.  I thought I had dove Eagle Reef in the past, but at this spot, we were over some pinnacles.  So this was new to me.  Pleasantly so, for we made two more dives here.  Again, seeing more morays, horn sharks, octopuss, and sea hares.  What puzzled me in this spot was litterally THOUSANDS of Blacksmith!!!  They were everywhere...mid-water, in the rocks, having a frenzy.  Very unusual their behavior was...but very cool to observe.