Otter
CoveOf all of the creatures in the ocean, otters appear to be the most happy. Rarely coming ashore, even to sleep, they spend their days hunting for food, grooming themselves, napping while wrapped up in a mass of giant kelp, or just simply playing. Their constant energy and playful behavior delights tourists and divers alike. While otters may be viewed anywhere in Monterey County, one of the more reliable places it see them is at, you guessed it, Otter Cove.
The Otter Cove entry is located at the point north of Lovers Point in Pacific Grove. Divers should park along Ocean View Boulevard or in the small parking lot and take one of the set of stairs to the rocky beach. Pacific Grove has spent a bit of money recently to fix up the stairs here and it is most appreciated by divers.
This beach offers a moderate amount of protection from the predominant northwesterly wind and swell. The water near shore is shallow and consists of a boulder-strewn bottom. The shallow water goes a long way out, 50-75 feet, so you can still stand up. These rocks are covered with algae and are quite slippery.
At
about 150 yards out the bottom drops away quickly to 50 feet. The
bottom is sandy with massive rocky pinnacles and these rocks support
a thick bed of giant kelp during the summer and fall months. These
pinnacles are covered with a colorful growth of invertebrates. Huge
red Telia anemones dot the surfaces of the surge channels and giant
green anemones are more common in calmer water where sunlight reaches
the bottom. About a mile offshore from the entry is one massive hunk
of rock called Eric's Pinnacle (CDN, October 1998).
Some rocks are covered with thick carpets of strawberry anemones, while others are covered with yellow, orange or cobalt encrusting sponges. Huge patches of some rocks are covered with bryozoans, and numerous species of nudibranch are seen grazing on the encrusting invertebrates.
Small lingcod and cabezon are often found hiding in rocky nooks and crannies. These are ambush predators and sit patiently for a crab, octopus, or juvenile rockfish to wander too close. Numerous species of rockfish are found here: gophers, blues, and browns. Small non-game fish such as sculpins, kelpfish, and gobys are found fluttering from rock to rock.
The
best place to look for otters is at the far edge of the kelp bed that
is directly off the entry. It is a long swim from the beach, so I
would advise either using a kayak or launching a boat from the
breakwater to get to the prime otter areas. Otters are normally much
shyer than seals or sea lions, but occasionally choose to approach
divers. Often, I see otters taking a nap on a diver's surf mat, and
are sometimes very reluctant to give the diver his mat back.
If you veer to the right as you head out from the beach, the bottom is mostly sand with a few rocky areas. This area is easy to traverse in summer since the kelp here is particularly thin. The sandy bottom is a home to many bat rays. Divers often see these large rays either resting on the bottom or digging a meal of clams and other shellfish out of the sand. The craters in the sand so often seen by divers are dug out by bat rays.
When diving Otter Cove, you should bring what you need with you since there are no facilities. Dive shops, restaurants and lodging are only a short distance from the site, so you won't have to drive very far to get what you need. On calm days this is one of the more critter-filled dives in the Monterey Bay.
Bruce Watkins is a frequent contributor to California Diving News and author of the book A Diver's Guide to Monterey County.
