Lulu
ReefDive boat captains can be such kidders sometimes. I was originally told by one dive boat captain that this dive site was named after another dive boat captain's mistress. Now another boat captain is telling me Lulu Reef was named after a dive boat in the 1960s that would dive this site with great frequency. Maybe the truth of the story is the second captain was just covering their tracks, or perhaps the boat Lulu originated its name from a mistress. Then both stories would be true.
Does it matter? No. This is a fantastic, fun dive for all skill levels, whatever the name.
Lulu Reef is a series of three rock pinnacles inside of Eagle Reef on the frontside of the west end of Catalina Island. Because if its proximity to Eagle Reef, it sometimes does not get the attention of the more popular and larger Eagle Reef. It is much closer to shore but distanced enough, about 50 yards, to get slightly clearer water and a bit less surge. The kelp is thick and lush, but because the reefs are separated by small gaps of sand, it is easy to move about, even explore all three reefs on one dive.
The main pinnacle is in the middle off a small rocky point. Coming within just 12 feet of the surface, it is the most interesting of the three and the largest, towering from a 60-foot bottom and sizing up to reach the equivalent of a large house.
And
there are many rooms in this house to explore and many residents with
which to visit. Perhaps the most interesting "room" to visit is the
deep crack that runs on the seaward side of the rockface from about
the top to half way down the pinnacle. Only about eight inches wide,
it is a sure place to see lobster and moray eels. Following the crack
down to the seaward side of the base of the reef will bring you to
the deepest part of the dive at about 60 feet. The jumble of boulders
here contain more lobster, rockfish, and gorgonian sea fans. This is
my favorite part of the dive. Schools of blacksmith fish move in and
out of the thick, lush kelp. Sheephead and garibaldi are friendly and
approach close. It's an excellent location for wide- angle
photos&emdash;or to just meditate.
A close second in my favored sections is the west side of the main pinnacle. Here the rock jumble becomes even more pronounced with deep holes, small caves and arch ways formed by nesting boulders. With so many rock angles, it's easy to get just the right camera angle on the nudibranchs sometimes found here or the colorful blue-banded gobies always found here.
I also like this spot because of its proximity to the west reef. This reef is not as tall but because it is on the leading edge of the current, it seems to be always bustling with marine life. Rock scallops are on the boulders feeding from the current. Calico bass wait in the kelp to ambush prey. On the seaward side, halibut can sometimes be found in the sand.
Around the backside of the main reef is mini-wall that gets a lot of sun. Garibaldi like it here and the wall is often home to more nudibranchs. It's shallower here, 30 feet, and a good place to rest. The east end of the main reef is more subdued and made up of a boulder field and a nice calm, serene kelp forest. And then just to the east is one more set of rocks, the smallest of the three. Only a few feet high, it is a nice place to hunker down in shallow but calm waters and get those perfect garibaldi pictures you always wanted.
There is another reef farther to the east that breaks the surface but that is a bit of a swim. And there are also rocks between the main reef and Eagle Reef in deeper water.
Although the entire Lulu reef could be explored in one dive, I prefer to make it a leisurely afternoon of two or three excursions, exploring all the rooms of this magnificent house and visiting as many of the residents as possible.
Location:
Inshore of Eagle Reef on the frontside of the west end of Catalina
Island between Lion Head and Emerald Bay. Generally not marked on the
charts. (GPS: N 33°27.285', W118°30.380'. GPS coordinates
for reference only. Do not use as sole source of navigation.)
Access and Entry: Boat only but with kayaking distance of Two Harbors (kayak rentals available).
Skill Level: All. A generally easy dive, but with some fun stuff for more experienced divers.
Visibility: Very good, averaging 40 to 50 feet.
Depths: 12 to 55 feet.
Snorkeling: Good across top of reef, but even better on shallow reefs near shore.
Photography: Very good wide angle along sharp rock faces with lots of fish and kelp. Good macro with some small fish and occasional nudibranch.
Hunting: This is an invertebrate preserve. Take of lobster, scallops, urchins, etc. is prohibited. Spearfishing poor to fair.
Suggested Dive Charter Boats Serving This Area:
Pacific
Dream- (562) 592-1154
Encore
- (310) 541-1025
Great Escape - (714)
828-9157
King/Prince Neptune -
(800) 262-3483
Sundiver - (800)
555-9446
Horizon/Ocean
Odyssey - (619) 277-7823
Garibaldi -
(310) 510-2800
Scuba Cat - (310) 510-0330
Mr. C - (310) 521-9737
C Diver - (619) 995-0499
or see the California Scuba Calendar section of this issue for trips to Catalina Island.
