Some 25 nautical miles west of San Francisco lie a group of seven islands and assorted rocks that go by the name Farallon. While physically close to the highly populated Bay Area, these desolate islands cannot be further from the busy city. A few research scientists share the islands with hundreds of sea lions and elephant seals, and countless birds. Gray, humpback, blue, and killer whales feed in the rich waters just offshore.

Considered by many to be the apex of the "Red Triangle," these islands have a reputation of being far too sharky to be considered a prime dive spot; yet a handful of divers visit the islands every year and come back with tails of a rich and diverse reef community.

The Isle of St. James lies in the middle of the chain, just south of North Farallon Island. This is not a single island but a group of three islets and assorted rocks that form a semicircle. In the center of the Islands forms a protected anchorage that makes a good dive spot even when the wind and seas are up.

Most boats anchor in 70 feet of water on the lee of a massive, rocky reef. The reef begins at the water surface, drops gradually to 25 feet and then plunges vertically to 40 to 70 feet. Among the wall are schools of blue and black rockfish, numerous rock scallops, and huge numbers of urchins. Wolf-eels inhabit cracks at the base of the rocky wall. As many as 10 animals may be found in this small area.

The most colorful diving here is on the north side of the southeast islet. A rocky ridge begins in deeper water and runs up to a little wash rock on the northern most point. This may be the most colorful spot in all of California. The bottom is highly textured with steep-sided valleys and rock piles. Many of the rocks are covered with encrusting hydrocoral. Purple rocks would be a good name for this dive site since the intense color is simply overwhelming. Among the coral are huge numbers of sea stars, rock scallops, aggregating and giant green anemones.

The small, most northern wash rock on the southeast islet marks the entrance to an extensive cave system. This wash rock is actually a pillar that holds up the roof of the north entrance to the cave. The cave then proceeds roughly south through the islet, branching several times. At least one on the branches dead ends, while others terminate on the south and north side of the islets.

The interior of the cave is lined with invertebrate life, aggregation anemones, hydrocoral, and colorful sponges. There are also numerous snow-white, giant green anemones. In the absence of sunlight the anemones lose the symbiotic algae that normally gives color to these anemones, and they return to a white color.

At the far end of the Farallon chain is Noonday rock, a submerged pinnacle marked by a whistle buoy. Noonday rock has a high point at about 70 feet, a relatively flat top that is deeply carved with canyons. The rock then plunges with vertical walls on all sides to depths well beyond a diver's limit. The topography is similar to Farnsworth Bank off Catalina.

The marine life here is outstanding. Thick schools of blue and black rockfish and sardines hover above the rock. The rock itself is covered with a rich coat of color. Strawberry anemones and hydrocoral are the predominate invertebrates here, but rock scallops the size of serving platters are everywhere. Wolf-eels inhabit many of the rocky crevices and two giant Pacific octopuses were resting on top of the pinnacle when our divers first descended. These were true giants with an arm span of nearly 10 feet.

The lasting impression of the Farallons is in the size and abundance of the marine life. Critters are not found here one or two at a time, but in huge aggregations. Each member of the group is near the maximum size that is observed for that species. These dive sites, in my humble opinion, offer the very best diving in all of California and put many highly rated, warm-water destinations to shame. And, after six days of diving and numerous individual hours in the water, we did not see a single shark.

Dive Spot At -A-Glance

Location: 25 nautical miles west of San Francisco.

Access: Boat only (Experienced skippers only).

Skill level: Advanced only.

Depths: 15 to 80 feet at Isle of St. James; 70 to as deep as you want to go at Noonday Rock.

Hunting: Plenty of trophy lingcod, rockfish, scallops, and abalone. However, due to the perceived risk of shark attack, I cannot recommend game collecting.

Photography: Great macro and wide-angle.

Visibility: Excellent: 30 to 80 feet.

Suggested Dive Charter Services for this Area:

Golden Gate Expeditions (510) 814-8256.

Bruce Watkins is a frequent contributor to California Diving News, as well as author of the books A Diver's Guide to Monterey County and A Diver's Guide to Northern California.