Aquarium Reef

Winter diving in Monterey can best be described as beauty and the beast. During the winter months the water is warmer and dive sites are less crowded. However, when the Pacific storms roll in it’s best to look for cover.

One well-protected site that offers plenty of photogenic critters is Aquarium Reef. This site takes its name from the inshore Monterey Bay Aquarium, which clearly marks the site. This site is too far from the beach to swim to, but is a pleasant and relaxed boat dive.

The reef begins near shore and gently drops to a sand bottom in about 60 feet. The bottom is principally a rock and sand patch reef. This is a low-profile reef, with ridges of granite that run approximately parallel to shore, separated by sand channels. The rock in most cases rarely rises up more than a foot or two above the bottom. This reef supports a large bed of giant kelp that can be very thick in summer months but is rather thin in winter.

Sea otter

Aquarium Reef is not a place where you need to cover a lot of territory to experience the site or a place where you can expect grand vistas. Rather, it is a place to get your face close to the reef and look for little things. This is a macro photographer’s heaven, if you take the time to look.

Dock shrimp are found in most cracks, and hermit crabs scurry around looking for their next meal. Sponges in a rainbow of colors cover the rocks and make for good backgrounds for photographing nudibranchs or fish.

The rocks are home to numerous species of nudibranch. Aeolid nudibranchs are common here. The purple and orange Spanish shawl and the orange and white Hermissenda always stand out in a crowd. Look for dendronidotids, and dorids as well.

While there are very few large fish here, this is a great place for fish watching and photography. Countless sand dabs and starry flounders are found in the sand channels. Little sculpins perch on top of sponges or hide in cracks. Look for kelpfish, and juvenile rockfish camouflaged among algae on the bottom.

Keep an eye on the water column throughout your dive. Sea lions pass through this area on their way to the Breakwater. Numerous harbor seals and otters hang out here during the day and often take time to visit with divers. Otters hunt all day, but always seem to find time to nap in the thick kelp bed. Any dive when an otter chooses to drop in to play is a good dive.

Aquarium Reef has a lot to offer divers who move slowly, get close to the reef, and develop their powers of observation. Remember, with all of this “bottom scratching” you should be careful not to damage the reef. There is plenty of sand next to the reef on which to kneel. That way you can enjoy the critters, and the diver behind you can enjoy them, too.

Kelpfish

Dive Spot At-A-Glance

Location: Offshore of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, between David and Prescott Streets.
Access: By private boat launched from the Breakwater, or kayak launched from McAbee Beach. This area is frequented by Monterey’s charter boats.
Depths: 20 to 60 feet.
Visibility: Fair, 20-30 feet.
Photography: Great macro for shrimps, crabs, nudibranchs, etc. Good otter and small fish photo opportunities.
Hunting: This is part of the Ed Ricketts Underwater Park, no game taking.
Hazards: Watch for boat traffic and thick kelp.