Aumentos Reef

One of the facets of diving that keeps me coming back is the sense of exploration. Each site, each rock, and each critter reveals something new.

And, just when you think you've seen it all, the ocean shows you something that you never dreamed existed. I used to think I knew Monterey Bay pretty well and sought out points north and south to explore. However, last month Captain Tim Doreck of the Monterey Express showed me a new and wonderful site.

Tim calls it Aumentos Reef. Aumentos is Spanish for "the enlargement," and that is a very good name for this reef. Offshore of Pacific Grove are the well known sites of Eric's Pinnacle and Inner and Outer Chase Reef. Beyond these sites the ocean floor jumps up from the flat bottom to the most spectacular reef in the bay. Other skippers call it George's Reef, or Outer-Outer Chase Reef.

The bottom offshore of Aumentos Reef begins as a rock and sand patch reef in 80 to 85 feet of water and begins to rise up in gentle steps up about 60 feet. The bottom then juts up more steeply in a series of massive granite walls with high points that come up within 40 feet of the surface. On the inshore side the reef drops off in steps to 50 to 55 feet and remains at this depth until one encounters Inner Chase Reef. The shallow area is composed of massive, square angled blocks that create a broken ridge top. This is a fun area to explore with deep cracks and valleys. The structure of the reef reminds me of what it would be like to soar along city skyscrapers.

The top of the reef is covered with a thick carpet of Corynactis anemones. Some patches are bright red, others are orange and still others are a beautiful lavender. Between the patches of Corynactis are colonies of bryozoans, yellow zoanthid anemones, and patches of brightly colored sponges. Every square inch of rock is covered with some form of encrusting invertebrate. In fact, it is difficult to find any exposed rock at all. This is one spot where you don't have to go below 60 feet to find excellent diving. In fact, the most colorful parts of the reef are shallower than 50 feet.

As the reef drops a bit deeper, the walls are covered with fluffy, white Metridium anemones that cover the vertical surfaces of the rock walls. As you go deeper the rocks are spotted with bright red Telia anemones and encrusting sponges. Between the anemones and rocks are plenty of fish, but not much worth spearing. This is a great place to look and photograph marine life, not hunt it. Big schools of small blue rock fish can often be seen swimming just off the reef, and surf perch and rockfish may be found on the reef itself. Lingcod, cabezon, and sheephead are frequently seen here.

Monterey Charter boat skippers are often pressured by their passengers to head south to Carmel Bay and Big Sur. Yet, there is still fine diving to be found in the bay, if you know where to look. Next time you're on one of Monterey's charter boats you might ask if they'll take you to Aumentos.

Dive Spot At - A - Glance

Location: approximately 1/3 mile offshore of Pacific Grove, Monterey Bay.

Access and Entry: Boat dive only. Small boats may be launched from the Monterey Breakwater or kayaks from the Coral Street Beach. To locate the reef, start way out and line up the fork in the large cypress tree near the foot of Esplanade Street with the intersection of Esplanade Street and Shell Avenue (first fork in Esplanade). Motor on this lineup until the bottom begins to rise up. Those with GPS may find it at 36° 38.319' N, 121° 55.273' W (GPS coordinates for reference only. Do not use as a sole source of navigation).

Depths: 40 to 90 feet.

Visibility: Good, 15 to 40 feet.

Skill level: Intermediate or better.

Photography: Great wide-angle for reef scenes; great macro for Corynactis, nudibranchs and other invertebrates.

Hunting: Permitted, but the Monterey Bay is getting fished out these days, You would be better off taking your spearguns elsewhere.

Hazards: Watch for currents and boat traffic.

Suggested Dive Boats Serving This Area:

Beach Hopper II - (800) 806-2345
Silver Prince - (800) 60-SCUBA

or see the California Scuba Calendar section for trips to Monterey Bay.

Bruce Watkins is a photojournalist residing in Northern California. Bruce is a regular contributor to California Diving News and hundreds of his articles and nearly a thousand of his photographs have appeared in various magazines, including Discover Diving, Ocean Realm, Outside, Rodale's Scuba Diving, and Skin Diver. He is the author of A Diver's Guide to Monterey County, recently published by Saint Brendan Corp. Bruce will be a featured seminar speaker at SCUBA Show 1999, June 25-27 aboard the Queen Mary.