Hopkins
Deep Reef
In
the Monterey Area most of the good diving may be found beneath beds
of the giant kelp, Macrocystis. For the most part, if there is no
kelp, divers find a flat, sand bottom. However, there are a few rocky
outcroppings that support a diverse bottom life that have no kelp
whatsoever. These are the Metridium fields.
For some strange reason Metridium and Macrocystis never inhabit the same areas. Granted Metridium prefer deeper waters that are swept by currents, and Macrocystis likes shallow water with lots of sunlight; there is plenty of overlap of habitat. Yet the two are almost never found together.
In the Monterey Bay there are several "Metridium fields." The more famous area is offshore from the end of Reeside Street, near the Monterey Breakwater. A larger and more expansive Metridium Field is directly off Hopkins Marine Station. Most call this site "Hopkins Deep Reef."
Offshore of the dive site is a sand bottom in 90 to 100 feet of water. There is not much life here compared to the inshore reef, just few tube anemones, hermit crabs, and the occasional halibut in season.
As
you head inshore, first small rocks appear and then large, rounded
granite outcroppings. Even in poor visibility the rocks seem to glow
white in the distance. They, of course, are covered with giant
Metridiums. These anemones cover most of the rocks and are the
predominant invertebrate life here. They are so white, and so
reflective that they are easy to spot from a great distance. This
also makes them tough to photograph. They are a bit too easy to
overexpose. Look for octopus among the anemones; this is one of their
favorite places to hide!
The rocky outcroppings become more common and the bottom becomes more shallow and rockier as you head inshore. If you hunt you can find a high point at about 50 feet, but most of the reef is in 60 to 80 feet. The rock here is not cracked and textured as you find at other spots in Monterey; rather, it is smooth and polished. This is a bonus for photographers, since everything is out in the open with nowhere to hide.
Small fish are found here in abundance - lingcod, rockfish, and greenlings. They are generally too small for dinner but make great subjects for your camera. Sea lions also frequent this spot and often choose to spend some time with divers.
Besides the Metridiums the invertebrate life here is outstanding.
This is a good place to observe and photograph nudibranchs. There are
numerous species and individuals of the dorid suborder, but there are
more interesting aeolids as well. Hopkins Deep seems to be popular
with Spanish shawls, and I have seen at least one on several dives
this season. Spanish shawls are not uncommon in the Monterey area,
but what is uncommon here is their size. They are big and fat,
similar to what you might find at Catalina Island. There are also
many crabs and shrimp on this reef. Look for hermit crabs on the sand
bottom and cancer crabs around the base of the anemones.
Hopkins is a great spot for photographers, and is also a popular spot for advanced classes. It is a relatively calm dive within the protection of Monterey Bay, and has access to deep water and a lot of marine life to boot.
Location: Directly off Hopkins Marine Station, Pacific Grove
Access: By boat or kayak. In water deeper than 100 feet, line up the two smoke stacks on the Monterey Bay Aquarium and head directly toward the aquarium. Drop your hook when the depth jumps from 90 to 60 feet. Monterey's charter dive boats frequent this site.
Skill level: Beginner or better.
Visibility: Good, 15 to 25 feet.
Depths: 50 to 90 feet
Photography: Great macro for small fish and nudibranchs, good wide-angle for Metridium anemones.
Hunting: Go elsewhere.
Hazards: Watch for boat traffic.
Bruce Watkins is a frequent contributor to California Diving News and author of the book A Diver's Guide to Monterey County.
