Iron Bound Cove

As we rounded Land's End at the extreme western tip of Catalina and headed for the back side, our spirits picked up when we saw a vast, flat ocean in front of us. When the swell lays down, or the wind is blowing offshore from the mainland, the sea on the back side of Catalina Island will flatten out and allow for some of the best diving Catalina has to offer. There are literally dozens of sites to dive on the back side and one of the most popular is Iron Bound Cove.

Iron Bound is located on the weather side of Catalina facing south. It is about 4 1/2 miles east of Land's End and is a large cove with a distinctive landmark on its eastern boundary known as Ribbon Rock. Ribbon Rock is a large, dark rock mass that has been folded, fractured and filled with layered veins of white quartz rock piled up like a wrecked wedding cake.

Iron Bound is a large cove with a fringing kelp forest that grows in abundance on the rock boulders, which have sloughed off the towering rock cliffs that surround the cove. The rock allows perfect holdfasts for the kelp and a myriad of hiding places for the local lobster population. Schools of baitfish like to cruise the kelp and attract a fair population of game fish for the hunter. Along with the usual site-attached fishes, there is a modest population of pelagic fish to hunt.

This cove is a favorite with many boaters and commercial fishermen, so be on the lookout for lines and floats when navigating the cove. There is also a hidden rock in the middle of the cove, near shore, just waiting for the unobservant skipper to "discover." The rest of the cove is a gently sloping sandy mud bottom that provides fair anchorage in most conditions, although this is not a safe place to anchor overnight or leave a boat unattended. Overnighters should move east to Cat Harbor, the best anchorage on Catalina Island.

There are a lot of lobster in the rocks here, a fact not lost on the commercial trappers who have a trap about every 100 feet along the shore. While not particularly large, there are enough to make this a favored dive site, and it is a regular stop by most commercial dive boats due to the good diving conditions and decent anchoring grounds. The cove will produce best in the early and late season. I have a couple of buddies who like to hunt halibut here in the spring, but that entails a long swim over a relatively featureless bottom, which runs from 40 feet at the bottom of the rocks out to about 80 feet deep in the middle of the cove. My favorite diving is the west edge of the cove, which has less surge and better visibility for photos.

The east side of the cove has an exciting dive. For advanced divers only, consider a live-boat drop on the ocean face of Ribbon Rock. When you reach the wall, turn left and follow the wall around into Iron Bound Cove. The skipper should then motor around the point and drop anchor at the eastern end of the cove. Ribbon Rock plunges deep into the sea, over 100 feet deep, and it is almost impossible to safely anchor there. Live-boat offers the best alternative to dive this wall. This profile will allow divers to sample the deep wall and then stay shallow on the swim around to where you hope the boat will be anchored. If the swell is running large, then pass, and dive Ribbon Rock another day.

The rest of the cove can be enjoyed by divers of all skill levels. The fringing kelp forest is a delight to swim through and is as vibrant and healthy as any on Catalina. Keep an eye out for the resident harbor seal and for bat rays at the kelp/sand interface.

Iron Bound Cove is one of the better areas to explore. It would take a day and about four long dives to sample it all. There is plenty of reef and different activities to satisfy a boatload of divers. All the more reason to come back again whenever the weather, winds, and swell invite us to dive the wild side of Catalina Island.

Dive Spot At - A - Glance

Access: Boat Only.

Skill Levels: All skill levels may dive here when calm. Only experienced should live-boat drop on Ribbon Rock.

Visibility: 15 to 80+ feet. Best visibility is in fall.

Depths: 40-60 feet at the base of the rocks out to 80+ foot in the center of the cove. Well over 100 feet at base of Ribbon Rock.

Concerns: Sometimes strong surge and swift and changing currents on Ribbon Rock wall. The entire site is exposed to prevailing weather and swell.

Activities: Diving in a beautiful kelp forest. Migratory summer game fish like the exposed points. Good for wide-angle and macro photography. Lobster in season. Some halibut in cove in springtime.

Suggested Charter Boats Frequently Serving This Area:
Atlantis/Pacific Dream - (562) 592-1154 •
Encore - (310) 541-1025 •
Great Escape - (714) 828-9157 •
King/Prince Neptune - (800) 262-3483 •
Sundiver - (800) 555-944 •
Truth/Conception/Vision - (805) 962-1127 •
Horizon/Ocean Odyssey - (619) 277-7823 •
Mr. C - (310) 521-9737 •
Garibaldi - (310) 510-2800 •
or see the California Scuba Calendar section for trips to Catalina Island back side.

Steve Benavides is a native Californian with 30+ years of coastal piloting experience in the Channel Islands and has been diving for over 30 years. Steve is a frequent contributor to California Diving News. He is a certified research diver, a director with the Greater Los Angeles Area Council of Divers, and a member of the Executive Board and past President of the Catalina Conservancy Divers, a support group working to conserve, protect and restore Catalina's marine resources.

 

 




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