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Ocean
CoveWhen you think of the perfect place to camp and dive, what do you see? Easy access to the ocean? A calm entry? A campsite with a view of the ocean? How about hot showers? Just south of Salt Point State Park, Ocean Cove is an idyllic setting that has been catering to divers for many years.
Ocean Cove was once known as Walsh's Landing, taking its name from the Walsh family who operated a mill and landing here. In fact the Walsh Family once owned much of the land that is currently Salt Point State Park. A wire chute was located on the north side of the cove and was used to load dog hole schooners with lumber bound for San Francisco. Today the cove and surrounding land is privately owned and the owners operate a campground and store, and offer access to divers and other ocean enthusiasts.
Ocean Cove is well protected and provides access to some of Sonoma County's best diving. A road runs between Highway 1 and the beach, making this a very convenient place to launch inflatable boats or kayaks to explore remote dive sites, or for easy access to the cove.
The bottom of Ocean Cove is mostly rock, sprinkled with boulders. Coralline algae covers many of the inshore rocks and palm kelp covers the bottom in waters that are a bit deeper. The area supports a healthy population of abalone. Abalone in the cove may be hard to find, but if the surf is up divers can still find their limit along the south and north sides of the cove. When the ocean is calm, you'll want to explore reefs outside of the main cove, particularly if you have a boat.
Just south of Ocean Cove is Cemetery Reef where spearfishers still find big lingcod. Blue rockfish school around this and other offshore pinnacles. Bring a depth finder and seek out these large rocks, both north and south of Ocean Cove.
The cove and adjacent reefs support a thick growth of bull kelp. The latter is convenient since bull kelp is one of the red abalone's favorite food. The rocky bottom and abundant food supply make for a productive abalone fishery.
Beach divers will find good diving at Ocean Cove. I enjoy driving to the bluff's edge near the southern point of the cove and scampering down the 20-foot bluff. Plentiful, legal-sized abalone are found near shore and in only 10 to 15 feet of water. The sometimes surgy environment and thick cover of bull and palm kelp make it a bit challenging to find your limit, but the inshore fish and invertebrate life make this a worthwhile experience.
A bit farther offshore divers will find a 20-30-foot rock bottom with more and bigger (8-8.5 inches) abalone. Bottom here is composed of large rocks and boulders and offers a good environment for fish and abalone to hide. Look back in cracks and under ledges for your abalone, particularly the big ones. Don't forget to look for lingcod back in the ledges as well.
The campground at Ocean cove is closer to the ocean than any other I've seen. Unzip your tent in the morning, smell the salt air and gaze on the beautiful Sonoma coastline. It's hard to resist getting wet when the view is this good.
Dive Spot At-A-Glance
Location: Just south of Salt Point State Park in Sonoma County.
Access and Entry: Enter the area through the Ocean Cove Campground at mile marker SON 38.00. There is a fee for camping, day use, boat and kayak launching. Ocean Cove Store is directly across Hwy. 1 from the campground entrance. Air fills available on weekends. Reservations are accepted only for group camping, 707-847-3422. Chemical toilets and hot showers are available. Divers may follow the unpaved road to the rocky beach or enter off the southern point of the cove.
Skill Level: All levels.
Depths: 10 to 60 feet.
Visibility: 10 to 40 feet.
Photography: Good for both wide angle and macro when visibility is good.
Hunting: Good abalone hunting in the cove, off the southern point, and in adjacent reef outside the cove. Good spearfishing for rockfish and lingcod outside of the cove.
Hazards: Watch for big waves and surge along with boat traffic.
Recorded conditions: 707-847-3222.
Bruce Watkins is a photojournalist residing in Northern California. Bruce is a regular contributor to California Diving News. 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.