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Rat
Rock
Of all the local gorgonians, the dainty purple gorgonian is the most beautiful. The branches of this soft coral spread out in many directions. The deep purple color is lightened by its white polyps, giving the full animal fan the look of finely woven lavender lace. Most stands are around eight inches in height, some are over a foot and half tall. It is, however, one of the most rare. While most guide books put its range as Southern California through Baja, I have found the purple gorgonian only growing in one place, the west end of the west island of Anacapa.
Hidden within the delicate weaving of the purple gorgonian is the tiny Simnia mollusk. This snail is no bigger than a small pill, so you have to look real close. Its coloration matches the gorgonian exactly and you'll find simnia snails on only about one out of five large purple gorgonian stands. And as rare as purple gorgonian is, this is the only place they live. The simnia are a worthy challenge for the macro-photographer.
A
good place to see a garden of purple gorgonia is at a dive site known
as Rat Rock. Rat Rock is located on the inside (lee or southern side)
of the extreme west end of Anacapa. It gains its name not from any
rodent living ashore but rather the shape of the land mass at the
extreme west end as you approach it from the south. A distinctive
outline of body, ear, and nose, eating cheese, takes shape.
The rock cliffs ashore drop quickly underwater to 30-40 feet and into a jumble of boulders. Extensions to the reef exist out from the "rat's" body, and ears. Up toward the nose and cheese the diving becomes a bit more wild and wooly, with many cross currents and surge. The calmer diving at the head and body holds enough fun for any dive. Toward the rear end of the rat is a mini-wall that drops from 30 to 50 feet. In most places, the reef ends in 55 to 60 feet of water to a sand bottom. The shelf adjacent to the sand is the most interesting, with a good amount of fish and invertebrate life, including gorgonians.
I am a certified gorgonian freak. I just love the way these sea fans add color to our California reefs. They make good backdrops for fish and macro photos, as well as macro photos on their own. For wide-angle photos, their warm colors stand out beautifully against the amber-green kelp forest or blue-green California waters. While California may not have coral reefs, per se, Southern California has the colorful soft corals in the form of gorgonians. This is an excellent dive for not only purple gorgonians but also red, brown and golden gorgonians. While there are not large fields like at other locations, the variety and health of the stands is impressive.
Other invertebrates are also abundant. Up in the jumbled boulders, lobster can be found, although most are small. Sea stars, anemones, and spanish shawl nudibranchs dot the reef. The current swept rocks are popular with filter feeding animals like feather duster worms, hydroids, and rock scallops, some quite large. The fish like the currents as well. Toward the bottom of the food chain are large schools of blacksmith and anchovies. Calico bass wait in the returning kelp to ambush stragglers. Reef fish include garibaldi, rockfish, and opaleye.
Anacapa Island is a easy dive destination. It is the closest of all the Channel Islands to the mainland, with charter boats serving from Ventura and Santa Barbara. Trips to Anacapa are run nearly every day of the week.
Dive Spot At - A -
Glance
Location: Inside (lee or south side) of extreme west end of the west island of Anacapa.
Access: Boat only. Commercial dive charter boats visit this island nearly every day of the week.
Skill Level: Beginner, inside point with no current. Advanced, near outer rocks due to dangerous swirling currents and surge.
Depths: 30 to 60 feet.
Visibility: Very good, averaging 40 to 50 feet.
Snorkeling: Fair, but most reefs too deep. Better at "Goldfish Bowl" dive site just to the east.
Photography: Very good macro for a good variety of invertebrates. Schools of fish good for wide angle.
Hunting: Few lobster, most small. Good for rock scallops.
Spearfishing poor.
Hazards: Currents can be strong. Watch swirling currents and surge around rocky point.
Suggested Charter Boats Frequently Serving This Area:
Spectre - (805) 483-6612
Peace - (805) 984-2025
Liberty - (805)
642-6655
Explorer - (805) 646-0836
Truth/Conception/Vision -
(805) 962-1127
or see the California Scuba Calendar for trips to Anacapa Island.