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Albion Cove

Just south of Mendocino is a long, thin cove that offers plenty of protection from swell and wind. Albion Cove has the notoriety of being the site of the first lumber mill and dog hole port in Mendocino County. As the California Gold Rush began to heat up, William Richardson knew that the growing city of San Francisco would need lumber and Mendocino was the place to get it. Being first has its advantages and Richardson had his pick of the many coves. He chose wisely by picking Albion.

Today Albion provides access to diving and fishing. The cove a wide sandy beach, well protected from wind and swell. Divers may park in a day-use area near the cove and carry their gear across the beach. The center of the cove is mostly sand and of little interest to divers. Pilings stick out of the sand beach and mark the site of the old wharf. The south side of the cove is often rough, is in the boating channel, and has little of interest to divers except for a few old anchors. The anchors are not from shipwrecks, but rather they were deliberately placed there and used to secure schooners as they took on cargo.

The north side of the cove is often calm and is a fun place to poke around. Free divers can find abalone and small fish in 15 to 20' of water. The rocks are covered with coraline algae. This can be a pretty place to snorkel on a sunny day.

The cove is about half a mile long, a long swim to open water. To be honest, if you don't have access to a boat or kayak, there are better spots to dive in Mendocino. Those who own a small boat or kayak, or sign on a charter boat, will really enjoy this area.

Outside of the cove are several and rather impressive pinnacles. These can be located by wisps of kelp that come to the surface. There is a thick bed of kelp along the coast, but tiny kelp beds offshore of the main bed often mark a pinnacle. After the winter storms rip out the kelp beds, the pinnacles can only be found with a depth finder or GPS.

Bull Rock is a beautiful place to dive. This pinnacle is offshore of the south end of Whitesboro Cove (the next cove south of Albion). The pinnacle begins in about 15 feet from the surface and drops in steps to 120 feet. Numerous smaller pinnacles surround the main one, separated by deep valleys. The top of the pinnacles are covered with bull and palm kelp, interspersed with beds of strawberry anemones and a few large Telia anemones.

As one drops deeper, divers encounter fields of Metridium anemones and then fields of encrusting sponges, cup corals and rock scallops. Scallops begin to appear at about 60 feet. At this depth they are small and hard to find. As one goes deeper they get bigger and more numerous. At a depth of around 100 feet, it's easy to get your limit of 10 in a few minutes. Look for lingcod and schools of rockfish near the rocks.

Another great spot if you have a boat is Colby Reef. The top of the reef starts in about 20 feet and drops off to over 100 feet. The bottom is carved with deep canyons. Swim-throughs and the rock walls are covered with Metridium anemones. This is another good spot to see rockfish and lings.

Camping is available in the "flats" at the mouth of the river and along the river banks. Dive Crazy Adventures has a dive shop, kayak rentals, and a charter boat service at Schooner's Campground. While there, try taking a kayak up river. You'll be amazed both at the beauty of the river valley and the wildlife it contains.

Dive Spot At-A-Glance

Location: Albion Cove is about 4 miles south of Mendocino on Hwy 1 at mile marker 43.93. Colby Reef is 1.5 miles north of Albion and 1/2 mile offshore (39' 14.983" N, 123' 47.797 W). Bull Rock is off the south side of Salmon Creek (39' 12.931" N, 123' 47.233" W). GPS for reference only. Do not use as sole source of navigation.

Access and Entry: Short walk to sandy beach from parking lot. Or launch boat from campgrounds.

Skill level: All skill Levels.

Depths: 10 to 30 feet in the cove 20 to 140 feet outside.

Visibility: Fair in the cove, 5 to 15'; outside the cove, 10 to 60'.

Hunting: Great abalone hunting for 8-9 inchers, good spearfishing for rockfish and lingcod, good scallop hunting on offshore pinnacles.

Photography: Poor in the cove, outstanding macro and wide-angle outside the cove.

Hazards: Be wary of boat traffic and stay clear of the boat lane. Watch for big waves and swell near the mouth of the cove.

Facilities: Two campgrounds are on the Albion River: River Campground on the flats (707-937-0606), and Schooner's a bit up river (707-937-5707), restrooms, showers, boat launching ramps, dive shop (707-937-3079).

Conditions: (707) 961-1143

Bruce Watkins is a regular contributor to California Diving News and hundreds of his articles and photographs have appeared in various magazines. He is the author of A Diver's Guide to Monterey County, published by Saint Brendan Corp. He will be a featured speaker at SCUBA Show 1999, June 25-27 aboard the Queen Mary.