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Italian Gardens

Italian Gardens conjures up all kinds of thoughts. Anywhere from a peaceful, serene and quiet private place to a great place to eat. Italian Gardens on the front side of Catalina can be both places. Named for the Italian fishermen that used to dry their nets here, it is filled with so much kelp it definitely brings to mind a huge salad bowl of greens. Add the incredible amount of lobster I saw on my last dive and you could definitely make a great lobster Caesar salad.

Italian Gardens is a large boulder-strewn area surrounded by sand. The boulders are irregular in size and arrangement and supply the kelp with sturdy anchors. The kelp can be found starting in about 15 feet of water and down to about 90 feet where it gives way to sand flats.

The kelp is thick, extremely thick. My favorite activity is using the kelp as a maze - moving in and out, up and down, over and under. Even as comfortable as I am in the kelp, this was so thick I was getting caught up in it every few feet. Of course, as I said I use it as a maze. If I plotted my course more carefully I wouldn't get caught as often. There was no current to speak of in this particular dive, thus the kelp just hung there. In order to see the reefs clearly you had to move the kelp out of the way. Beneath the kelp are jumbled boulders. Jumbled boulders is almost a catch phrase for Catalina Island nearshore dive sites, but it certainly applies.

In and amongst the boulders were lobster on top of lobster. Many large enough to make my mouth water. Though many areas on the frontside of Catalina are protected, it usually does not apply to lobster. Italian Gardens is an area where it's okay to take lobster, and judging by what I saw, come lobster season, there will be a ton of lobster in hiding.

Hiding with the lobster is the moray eel. Frequently found side by side with the lobster, they can be found all over this reef, though I found them more frequently toward the deeper part of the reef. The last couple of years I noticed a lack of moray around the island. Though I can only guess why they were disappearing. The good news is that I have been finding more and more on each dive this past six months. They don't appear to be juvenile, so I can only guess where they may have been hiding.

One of these days I will get to see the elusive black sea bass and not just in someone else's picture. Five were reportedly seen here a few days before. Our dive plan was to cruise the kelp bed until we found them.

I'll tell you up front that we did not see any of them, nor did anyone else on this dive boat. They must have moved on or a better guess is that they were sleeping, safely snuggled in the thick kelp. (They were seen again here days later.)

It is definitely an advantage to dive a lot in California; you see creatures come and go, experience the seasons, and see the results of man and creature alike. Three years ago, there was no kelp here, thanks to El Niño. The black sea bass is seen all over, and who knows why the moray came and went -- and came again.

Up in the kelp you will find an abundance of all the creatures, great and small, that inhabit the kelp forest in Catalina waters. Schools of fish will move in and out. A dive light will help illuminate the dark areas created by the thick kelp and will guide you as you look under the boulders for more creatures.

Though not known for heavy currents, look to the lay of the kelp to judge where and how you should dive this site. If the kelp is stretched out and lying at an angle - the current is running in the direction the kelp is pointing. Use good kelp diving techniques here.

Make sure that you have enough air to make your way through the kelp and surface near the boat. If needed, make sure you know how to do the "kelp crawl" across the top of the kelp. The same goes for entering the water from the boat here. Look for an opening in the kelp to drop into. It is easier to drop into a small clearing, than trying to fight the kelp from the first giant stride.

Location: Frontside of Catalina Island, just west of Long Point. GPS coordinates N 33°24.641', W118°22.410 (GPS coordinates for reference only. Do not use as sole source of navigation.)

Access: Boat only.

Skill Level: All with good conditions.

Depths: 15 to 80 feet.

Visibility: Very good.

Hunting: Good for lobster.

Photography: Excellent wide angle in the kelp with clear water. Good macro of small reef fish.

Hazards: Sometimes strong currents, boat traffic, thick kelp.

Suggested Dive Charter Boats Frequently Serving This Area:

Pacific Dream - (562) 592-1154

Encore - (310) 541-1025

Great Escape - (714) 828-9157

King/Prince Neptune - (800) 262-3483

Sundiver - (800) 555-9446

Mr. C - (310) 521-9737

Garibaldi - (310) 510-2800

Scuba Cat - (310) 510-0330

or see the California Scuba Calendar section of this issue for trips to Catalina Island