Eric's Pinnacle

I find particular fascination in how dive sites acquire their names. The early Spanish explorers put names on most of the headlands; rocks are often named after the ship that hit them; but most other dive sites are named by, or after, the first one to dive there.

Some time ago Phil Sammet (now the captain of the Cypress Point) and Eric Minard (brother of Dave Minard, captain of the Cypress Sea) were out looking for sand to hunt halibut. Phil was driving and Eric was watching the depth finder when they went over a pinnacle that looked like the Matterhorn.

Eric said “Wow, look at that!” or words to that effect. Phil said “You found it, you get to name it.” Eric said, “Eric’s Pinnacle, damn it!” and the name stuck.

Eric’s Pinnacle is located about a mile offshore off the City of Pacific Grove and is one for the few true pinnacle dives in the Monterey Bay. This site is often hard to find since it may only be marked by a wisp of kelp, and often has no kelp on it at all. The top is in about 20 feet of water and the sides drop off vertically, or in a series of giant steps, to 60 feet on the out shore side, and to about 50 feet on the inshore side.

When viewed from underwater it appears as a storybook castle, complete with a main peak ringed by many smaller spires. No castle would be complete without its share of secret passageways, and this one is honeycombed with deep cracks and fissures.

Eric’s is covered with thick growth of Corynactis anemones, sponges and red Telia anemones. The encrusting marine life covers every inch of rock in a mostly red carpet. Little nudibranchs, hermit crabs and dock shrimp can be seen foraging for dinner, while orange cucumbers wave their tentacles into the water column in an attempt to snare whatever plankton drifts by.

Look for numerous, small rockfish in the cracks. If you notice a pile of shells in a heap at the base of the pinnacle, follow the debris up to a large crack. There you will find Eric’s resident wolf-eel. There are also a fair number of small fish on Eric’s: painted greenlings, black-eyed gobys and sculpins. Schools of blue rockfish circle the rock and feed on whatever the bay currents bring to them that day. These days they stuff themselves on nice, fat jellyfish.

Around the base of the pinnacle is a field of rather large boulders, some 10 or 12 feet in diameter. While the invertebrate life here is not as spectacular as on the main pinnacle, there are several huge metriduim anemones that make great photographic subjects. If you are lucky you might get a glimpse of a small lingcod, bat ray or torpedo ray cruising along the 60-foot bottom. Sea otters are often found foraging for invertebrates in the sand between the rocks, or napping in the nearby kelp bed.

Eric’s Pinnacle is a rock with character, and is a popular dive with charter dive boats. In fact, it is the most frequently requested site in all of the Monterey Bay. Check it out the next time you are in Monterey.

Dive Spot At - A - Glance

Location: Offshore of the north end of Otter Cove. It is about 50 yards beyond the edge of the Otter Cove Kelp Bed and only is marked with a thin wisp of kelp. Those with GPS may find the pinnacle at 36°38.044' N 121°55.101' W. Those without GPS can start way out and line up the white pole on the left side of 929 Ocean View Blvd. with the red brick chimney on the house behind and above. When your depth finder jumps to 20 feet, you are there.
Access and Entry: This site is too far from the beach to swim. Divers may launch boats from the Monterey Breakwater or kayaks from Lover’s Point or Otter Cove entries.
Depth: 20 to 60 feet.
Skill Level: Beginner to Advanced.
Photography: Good wide-angle photography the pinnacle itself, and for diver portraits. Good macro photography for nudibranchs and encrusting invertebrates.
Hunting: This area is part of the Pacific Grove Marine Gardens Fish Reserve and no invertebrates may be taken. There are a few rockfish here but, you are better off taking your spearguns elsewhere.