California Diving News - Catalina Island Scuba Diving: Dive Spot Eagle Reef

Blue-banded goby

Eagle Reef
I am on summer vacation in the Caribbean waiting to dive the clear, warm azure waters, and even now I dream of my dives at Eagle Reef on Catalina Island. It is that fantastic of a place. Eagle Reef is world class.

Like a small craggy mountain ridge, Eagle Reef rises, sometimes vertically, from a deep ocean bottom. It is 500 yards from the shore, just enough where there is almost always a clean, clear, life-filled oceanic current bathing the rocky peaks. And the undersea marine life takes full advantage.

Zoanthid anemones

Kelp is thick and lush, swaying in the current. Fish are very plentiful. This is one of the fishiest dives at Catalina. For maximum population, visit the leading edge of the reef in the current, usually the west end. There, large schools of blacksmith fish work the waters for bites of planktonic food borne on the currents. Predatory fish like yellowtail and calico bass are seen working the edge of the forest.

The reef creatures also take advantage. Under ledges are large and healthy colonies of aggregating corals, one of California’s few stony corals. Shine your light on their pink bodies and they appear fuzzy with their feeding tentacles extended in the moving waters.

An anemone, the bright yellow-orange zoanthid, covers walls in spots. They also like to take over gorgonian fans, taking advantage of the structure another species has built to feed in the currents. Reef fish in abundance include blue-banded gobies, treefish, kelpfish, painted greenlings, ghost gobys, sheephead and, of course, bright orange garibaldi.

The west end of the reef is my favorite section, not just because of the currents and associated marine life but also the structure of the reef. Sections are vertical with deep cuts and crevices. Current hits the wall swirling upwards and around, creating feeding excitement in the animals. Depths are 30 feet, dropping to over 100.

The reef extends east in a series of rocky pinnacles reaching to within 10 feet of the surface on average. (One pinnacle is a mere six feet from the surface and is marked with a buoy, lest a large boat run aground.) The topography is one of rock faces, mini-walls, deep crevices and small sand-filled valleys. Look for bat rays in the valleys. It is easy to jump from pinnacle to pinnacle during a dive although there is enough to see on one rocky spire to occupy an entire tank. The valleys between the pinnacle are about 40 feet deep and provide a break in the kelp. The reef varies in width but is on average about 100 yards. Towards the island, the drop-off is less dramatic with jumbled boulders sloping from 40 to about 100 feet. Visibility is not as good here, but this is an excellent lobster hunting area and no slouch for macro-photography of small reef fish. The ocean side of the reef the drop is a bit more profound. There are some mini walls, but it is mostly steep jumbled rock with some caves and many overhangs.

And nearly everywhere there is thick, healthy kelp. The valleys are thinner and good for passing between from one side of the reef to next. The kelp not only serves as the basis of this magnificent habitat, it is also helpful to the diver in dive planning. Currents over Eagle Reef are frequent and sometimes strong and, more important, often unpredictable. Although it usually runs from west to east, it can turn directions on a dime or go from little to ripping in just a few seconds. If you pull your boat up to the reef and see no kelp, it is lying flat on the bottom from a roaring current. Head for another dive site if this is the case, as Eagle Reef is undiveable. On the other hand, if the kelp lies on the surface, use it to judge current direction and strength and plan appropriately, making sure to start your dive into the current. Also, always use a floating current line trailing behind your boat should you misjudge its strength or if it changes direction.

If the current is moderate at this dive site the day of your dive, there is no need to fight the swift waters—just tuck in behind one of the many rocky pinnacles and enjoy the marine life as it swirls about and the kelp swaying overhead.

Dive Spot At-A-Glance
Location: West of Isthmus on the frontside of Catalina about 500 yards offshore. East end of the reef is marked with a red buoy. The perimeter of the rest of the reef is usually easy to see by the extent of the kelp forest.
Skill levels: All, depth and currents permitting.
Depths: 15 to over 100 feet, but most dives average 40 to 60 feet.
Visibility: Very good, averaging 50 feet, but often exceeds 70 and sometimes reaches over 100.
Snorkeling: Fair but difficult because of the thick kelp, depths and current. Much better spots near shore of the island.
Hunting: Good for lobster. Fair spearfishing in kelp for yellowtail and a few calico bass.
Photography: Excellent topography covered with life-filled kelp for great wide-angle photography. Good macro for small fish and various colorful invertebrate critters.
Hazards: Boat traffic and currents. Watch your depth.
Note: Catalina Conservancy Divers has a scientific study site on the reef. Do not disturb markers or devices.
Suggested Boats Serving the Area:
Encore - (310) 541-1025
King Neptune - (800) 262-3483
Sundiver - (800) 555-9446
Truth/Conception/Vision - (805) 962-1127
Horizon/Ocean Odyssey - (858) 277-7823
Mr. C - (310) 521-9737
Garibaldi - (310) 510-2800
Pacific Star - (310) 921-9210
Island Diver - (800) 642-0785
Express Divers - (866) 488-3483
Scuba Cat - (800) 353-0330
or see the California Scuba Calendar section of this issue for trips to Catalina Island