Where’s the Avalon Wreck?

Dear Dale & Kim,
Thanks for an excellent magazine. I find it to be the best resource for diving.
With the nice Santa Ana wind conditions, I thought that if offshore diving were limited, how about near-shore? I used to do lots of local diving (Palos Verdes, Laguna, and others) but there was one dive that I’ve never made— the wreck of the Avalon. I remember it being off of Palos Verdes/Bluff Cove in moderately deep water. I think that you once published an article that gave the Lat/Long coordinates. Could you please send me or publish those numbers?

Thanks,
Patrick Shuss,
Torrance

One mile off Palos Verdes Point, 33° 47.382' N, 118° .25.665' W

Diver of Chance White Shark Encounter Did Right

Dale,
Mark Spencer did exactly what I encourage people to do in such a rare situation as an underwater encounter with a white shark. If you can get behind a rock or thick kelp stipes and fronds (blend in with the background as much as possible). Granted the shark knows you’re there anyway, but you don’t want to be an obvious curiosity that needs to be checked out. Once the animal has passed, then make a slow ascent while being vigilant of what is going on around you and your buddy (or buddies).

Steve Wilson
Dive Director/Team Captain
Pelagic Shark Research Foundation
www.pelagic.org

Editor’s Note: There have been two additional unverified reports of white shark sightings at Catalina Island, one at Blue Cavern Point (fairly close to the “High Spot” in the original Mark Spencer story) and the second at an undisclosed location.

North Coast Secrets Revealed?

Editor:
I’ve been reading many of your past issues on the Internet, and I’m starting to get a bit anxious, concerned, and annoyed. I won’t say which particular writer it is that is raising my concerns, but the fact is there are too many articles in your magazine exposing to the public relatively unknown diving spots. In the name of preserving the North Coast’s abalone population and the remaining lingcod, STOP GIVING DIRECTIONS TO THE LAST REMOTE COVES IN THE STATE. Let the adventurous find them themselves and be rewarded for their ambition, and let the other divers go to Point Lobos Reserve and Salt Point and so forth. As a diving magazine, I think it would be honorable to use your foothold in the attention of the public to promote conservation and respect the privacy of California’s wilderness. I live in San Francisco and would like to know of some great places to spearfish, but I’d rather find them on my own and enjoy them unaccompanied by your many readers. There are only so many unknown waters left in the state. Don’t ruin them forever. You’ve got the power! Thanks, and I’ll always keep reading your articles.

Sincerely,
Alastair Bland
via e-mail

Alastair:
While I’ve not spent as much time as many divers on the North Coast I think it safe to say that there are several thousand rarely visited dive sites. I also don’t think the abalone population is threatened. So much of the prime abalone beds are nearly impossible to reach (either by depth, distance, or rough seas) that so long as poachers or otters do not have free run, we will see abalone for generations to come. The breeding stock base is just too large. Lingcod is a different matter. But even they can be better protected by stricter regulations.
The North Coast will never receive heavy diver pressure because it is not diving for everyone. While there are some beautiful, calm dives on the North Coast, most of it is cold, turbulent waters.
In the 16 years of publishing we have pointed out maybe 50 dive sites on the North Coast and I venture to say that the vast majority of those are not “secret.” Those sites that are considered “secret” are usually very difficult to access and not for the average diver. We will probably not publish those articles.
Key to protecting these wild and beautiful spots is not by pretending that they will stay secret for ever. They will not. The key is rather for more areas to be set aside as preserves, protected in their pristine state for future generations.
Editor

GPS for San Diego Wrecks
In this issue (Jan. 2001) you gave the GPS value for NEL tower again. I used that value in my new Christmas Magellan GPS, but I found myself .05 minutes due south of the tower. The coordinates you gave for the Ruby E put me right on it.

You guys do good stuff.
John Leek
via e-mail

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