Catalina Scuba Luv, Home of the Dive Boats King and Prince Neptune | Avalon | Catalina Is.

A diver pursues a horn shark.

East End Rock Quarry

Sometimes it seems a little redundant to dive in a rock quarry at Catalina Island. I always think of Catalina Island diving as one big rock quarry, a great big jumble of rocks and boulders stacked on top of each other. So when you actually dive a rock quarry, you get even more rock upon rock upon rock. Not just a scattering, but towers, a literal game of jenga could be played here.

On the east of Catalina Island, just around the corner from Avalon Harbor, you’ll find one of Catalina’s two rock quarries, hence the name, East End Rock Quarry. In operation since 1900, this quarry has contributed to many of the breakwaters you’ll find up and down the California coast. As a matter of fact, the Los Angeles breakwater is 90 percent Catalina rock. And Pier J, next to the Queen Mary, contains three million tons of Catalina rock.

Of course in the environment of all this rock are plenty of cracks and crevices to hold all those wonderful Catalina creatures. First and foremost, what comes to mind this time of hear is that nocturnal creature—the California spiny lobster (Panylurus interuptus). Lobster taking is legal here, when in season of course. There is no commercial take of lobster on the front side of the island, and when combined with the infrequency of commercial diving boats to this area, you may do quite well hunting here.

All that rock provides a good holdfast for the kelp to grow strong and tall. In abundance since El Niño and La Niña have faded away, this dive site has areas of extremely thick kelp. When you combine all that kelp in the water column, along with the cracks and crevices of the rocks, you’ll find a multitude of marine life from the surface all the way down to the bottom. Look among the kelp fronds for calicos; look down, on, and under the boulders for the bottom dwelling fish. Be careful when looking for the lobster, you don’t want to thrust your arm into the waiting teeth of the moray eel. Remember, they don’t want to bite you. But if you stick your fingers in their mouth, it’s your fault, not theirs.

Male rock wrasse.

The area has rocks and boulders that form a gentle slope from shore to about 20 feet. From there the slope becomes more steep and goes straight down to unknown depths. Be careful as you make your way along the boulders to pay attention to your depths. The boulders all look the same, and you may find yourself too deep. Since this site has a close proximity to deep, open waters you may find an occasional pelagic fish swim by. Look out into the blue water and you may see a yellowtail or a ...

This site is only a 10-minute boat-ride from Avalon and can be frequented by the Avalon-based boats if you ask. Though close to Avalon, there is no shore access. The waters are almost always calm, except during the occasional Santa Ana conditions in the fall. The visibility is fair to good, but not as good as you’ll consistently find at other Catalina sites.

Encore - (310) 541-1025
King/Prince Neptune - (800) 262-3483
Sundiver - (800) 555-9446
Horizon/Ocean Odyssey - (619) 277-7823
Mr. C - (310) 521-9737
Garibaldi - (310) 510-2800
Scuba Cat - (310) 510-0330
or see the California Scuba Calendar section of this issue for trips to Catalina Island