California Diving News - Dive Spot San Miguel Island: Wycoff Edge

Red gorgonian

Wycoff Ledge

Divers have a natural affinity to walls. Perhaps it is due to the falling sensation we get when we peer over the edge? Perhaps it is the flying sensation we get while cruising along a deep wall? But I bet it’s mostly the interesting and abundant marine critters that call the wall home. One of the most spectacular walls in Southern California is known as Wycoff Ledge.

Wycoff Ledge is located on the south side of San Miguel Island. While San Miguel is one of the more exposed islands, this site is well protected from the dominant northwest wind and swell. Wycoff has a cornucopia of photogenic marine life to please the most discriminating diver.

Simnia

The ledge runs roughly east west, and water depth on the north side of the ledge runs 30 to 40 feet. Here the bottom consists of large rocks sprinkled on a rock and sand patch reef. Much of the rock is covered with palm kelp and coralline algae. A few and small abalone are found way back in the cracks of the reef. The tops of the rocks are covered with massive holdfasts of a bed of giant kelp. In summer this bed can be quite thick, so divers should leave plenty of air to navigate back to their boat.

There are plenty of fish to photograph in this area. Look for small kelpfish, gobys, and sculpins hiding among the coralline algae. There are also numerous cabezons and lingcod resting on large rocks. Schools of señoritas and blue rockfish meander through the kelp bed.

As one heads south from the shallows, the bottom rolls over and plunges into the depths. The top of the wall is around 40 feet and in some places it drops 30 feet, and in others it drops vertically for 50 feet to a gently sloping sand bottom. The wall is adorned with a tapestry of colorful sponges and gorgonians. Stands of pink gorgonians appear like so many Christmas trees. If you have a little imagination the nudibranchs or cowries that are often found on the gorgonians can look like ornaments.

The rock wall is carved with both vertically and horizontally running cracks. The horizontal cracks are good places to look for small fish, chestnut cowries, and nudibranchs. Some of the vertical cracks are quite large and wander back into the reef for 20 feet or more. The walls are covered with colorful sponges and cup corals, and numerous rockfish are found hiding at the back of the crack.

If you are looking for a protected wall with lots of marine life, you will find fewer more interesting than Wycoff Ledge. Boat captains are frequently susceptible to suggestions; so let your requests be known. Ask ‘em to head for Wycoff.

Dive Spot At-A-Glance
Location: South side of San Miguel Island, about the middle of the island.
Access: Boat only.
Depths: 30 to 100 feet.
Water temperature: Cooler than other Channel Isl., 50-55°.
Visibility: Good, 40 to 70 feet.
Skill Level: Intermediate or better.
Photography: Wide-angle photography of caves and arches, macro shots of nudibranchs and invertebrates, fish portraiture.
Hunting: Spearfishing allowed, but there are not many worth the effort. It is illegal to take abalone in So. California.
Suggested Charter Boats Serving This Area:
Spectre - (805) 483-6612
Peace - (805) 984-2025
Truth/Conception/Vision - (805) 962-1127
or search the California Scuba Calendar for trips to Santa Cruz Island.

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 (both from Saint Brendan Corp.)

Return to Cover Page/Contents for August 2003 issue