Copper
Roof House
In
the Monterey area there are many dive sites that are a short walk
from hotels, shops and crowds. Although near to facilities and
creature comforts, the hustle and bustle of city life could not be
further away when underwater. One such dive site is marked with a
funky little house with a great view of the ocean. This house is
topped with a unique copper roof, whose green, oxidized color gives
the nearby dive site its name.
The Copper Roof House sits at the far end of Carmel Beach. To the right of the house the bottom is mostly sand with a bit of rock. However, directly off the entry point and to the left is an extensive kelp bed. The bottom under the kelp consists of large rocks and boulders in 20 to 40 feet of water, separated by sand channels.
Many of the shallow rocks are covered with layers of coralline algae, wherein smaller critters find shelter and food. Among the algae may be found an assortment of nudibranchs. Some nudibranchs grow to enormous sizes here. These are of the dorid family and may be the size of your fist or bigger. The big ones are primarily lemon nudibranchs, snow white dorids or Monterey dorids. Some of the more gaudy of Monterey's nudibranchs may also be found here - the pink Hopkin's Rose and the horned nudibranch.
The nooks-and-crannies of the rocks are chock full of abalone, mostly blacks. The cracks here are both so deep and so narrow that otters can only look but not partake of these tasty critters. The area is also part of a marine reserve, and divers are prohibited from taking any kind of shellfish.
As one swims past the kelp bed the bottom drops away steeply to 80 to 90 feet. Here the bottom consists of huge rocks and mini-pinnacles, separated by narrow sand channels. These rocks create a maze of U-shaped valleys. This area is a long swim from the beach, so most divers either bring a kayak or sign on to one of Monterey's charter boats to reach these deeper waters.
There are numerous fish at this site: gopher, copper, blue and kelp rockfish, painted greenlings, sculpins, surf perch, cabezon, and lingcod. This is a fish watcher's and fish photographer's heaven. Game hunters will be disappointed since there are few dinner-sized.
The sandy areas between the rocks is a good place to find larger fish. Bat rays are often observed feeding on shellfish. The large depressions found along sandy bottoms are usually due to these three-foot rays digging out their dinner of clams, although the depressions may also be due to sea otters. Pacific electric rays and leopard sharks are sometimes found in the sandy areas as well.
It is amazing that such good diving may be found within a few blocks of the inns and shops of downtown Carmel. This is a perfect setting for a weekend or mini-vacation of varied activities. After the dive, you and your non-diving family members can enjoy the beach, shops, and fine restaurants of this upscale vacation spot.
Location:
At the south end of Carmel Beach in Carmel.
Entry and Access: Park on Scenic Road near the intersection of Martin Ave. There are a well-maintained set of stairs to the beach. Enter near the rocks to the left. Divers may also launch boats from the Monterey Breakwater or from the pier at Stillwater cove (reservations required; call (408) 625-8507).
Depth: 20 to 90 feet.
Visibility: Generally good, 20 to 40 feet.
Hazards: On calm days this spot is easy to enter and exit, but conditions can be rough here. Watch for currents and boat traffic on the outer reef. The past two years have produced very thick kelp beds in this area.
Photography: Good macro photography for nudibranchs and other invertebrates. The rugged bottom offers endless possibilities for wide-angle photography.
Hunting: Poor spearfishing for lingcod, cabezon and rockfish. Copper Roof House is part of the Carmel Bay Ecological Reserve and no invertebrates may be taken.
Bruce Watkins is a frequent contributor to California Diving News, lecturer and author of the book A Diver's Guide to Monterey County.
