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Southern California Abalone Returning?
Scattered reports point to optimism for a possible slow recovery of the abalone population in Southern California. Small red abalone have been reported in an area of San Nicolas Island once famous for its red abalone population. Live abs, species unspecified, have been seen also at the east end of San Clemente Island. Green abalone have been spotted at Anacapa Island. If you spot an abalone do not touch or disturb it. A damaged abalone will die because they are hemophiliacs and will bleed to death.
Abalone from San Francisco southward have been protected for several years since their near extinction due to disease and overfishing. Only breath-hold sport divers can take abalone north of San Francisco.
Wounded Black Sea Bass Spotted Second Time
A black sea bass that was first spotted last November with a spear protruding from its right side has apparently been spotted again at Italian Gardens, Catalina Island. It appears the fish is healing but the spear shows no sign of falling out.
Since 1982 black sea bass have been fully protected under the law. Should you should witness anyone harming or attempting to harm a black sea bass, call the California Department Fish and Game’s CalTIP line at 1-888-DFG-CALTIP (1-888-334-2258).
Cabezon Fishery Closed
California Department of Fish and Game has announced that the recreational take of Cabezon is now prohibited.
Closure went into effect July 29 and is necessary due to the extremely high amounts of Cabezon taken earlier this year, with the amount allotted to the recreational sector met or exceeded by July 29.
El Niño Marine Life Reports
It seems California is getting the benefits of an El Niño without the costs. With the El Niño climate condition, warmer southern currents shift north and bring odd tropical and semi-tropical species with it. El Niños are infrequent and this year is mild one. With the mild El Niño, odd species are showing up in Southern California waters but without the devastating effects of the destruction of the kelp forests. Below are some of the recent marine life sightings that may be attributed to the summer’s mild El Niño:
- Triggerfish have been seen off the frontside of Catalina Island. Triggerfish are uncommon but not rare as far north as the Los Coronados Islands off Northern Baja but to find them at Catalina is very unusual. They were seen in 20 feet of water at the along the west end of Catalina.
- Smooth butterfly rays have been sighted at Cress Street in Laguna Beach
- Pipefish, usually a rare sight in Southern California, have become more common
- Big squid, about a foot in length, have been washing ashore at Huntington Beach. No diver encounters, however, have been reported.
Some things to look for in September, typically the warmest water month of the year, include the small red cardinal fish at San Clemente Island, scythe butterfly fish (look in particular off the east end of Catalina), and arrow crabs in the Southern Channel Islands.
Malibu Beach Access Battle Deepens
The Greater Los Angeles Council of Divers (GLACD) beach diving committee is watching with great interest the Coastal Conservancy’s attempt to open shore access in the Malibu area. The Conservancy is helping organizations to open and maintain easements granted by coastal residents in exchange for building permits. However, over the years, the residents who have reneged on their promises to open the beach to the public have blocked the easements physically and in the courts. The latest activity is a lawsuit filed by Hollywood producer David Geffen and the City of Malibu to keep closed the easement adjacent to Geffen’s property. The named Defendants are the nonprofit organization Access For All, the state agency California Coastal Commission, and the Coastal Conservancy. The lawsuit states that, among other issues, Access For All is ill funded and lacks experience to maintain the easement. It also alleges that the state agencies have not formulated a consistent statewide plan for the deposition of similar easements. The committee’s Beach Access Program (BAP) has requested help from the Coastal Conservancy to improve beach access in the Big Rock area of Malibu. A petition is being circulated with the goal of illustrating to the Conservancy the concern local divers have for these issues. If you wish to sign the petition or volunteer to help GLACD with this issue, please e-mail beach@glacd.org.
Strategies for the Chocolate Lobster Dive
The 5th annual Cabrillo Chocolate Lobster Dive will take place September 21 at Cabrillo Beach, San Pedro. This fun event has gained rapidly in popularity. It benefits the programs at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium to educate children on the ocean environment off Southern California.
Briefly, divers pay a fee and at a specified time head out off Cabrillo Beach to search for planted Chocolate Lobster vacuum packed in plastic with a number, some of which correspond to a prize. (For full details visit http://www.cabrilloaq.org on the web or call 310-548-7562 x9039.)
400 chocolate lobster are put underwater and 400 to 500 diver participate with a limit of 2 lobster per registered diver. Do the math and as you can see some divers will come out with nothing. But there are a few things you can do increase your odds of getting your two Choco-lobster limit, and strategies for having more fun and less hassle at this popular event.
First, pre-register. Not only will you save $5 in the registration fee, you will get free parking, a $6.50 value. You’re onsite check-in will go smoother, allowing you to prepare for the dive quicker.
Second, arrive early, real early. While the pre-dive briefing does not begin until 9:30 a.m., you can check in as early as 7 a.m. Arriving early you will get the best parking. You can drop off your gear in a good spot with less hassles from the crowds. And you can stake out prime beach real estate.
Be ready to dive as soon as the horn blows. And I mean mask on, fins on, everything! Be standing in ankle deep water (no cheating) and then head out into the happy hunting grounds (10 to 20 feet of water) just as quickly as you safely can. The reason for this is twofold. First, the lobsters disappear quickly and second, with many divers in the water, visibility disappears even faster. Those who hit the water first will have the best water clarity.
When it comes to water clarity, have a plan with your buddy or you’ll get lost and spend the better part of your dive just trying to find each other. The best technique is to use a short line, three feet is good, that you can hold onto each end. As a buddy team, you’ll cover more bottom this way. Work out a tug signal to indicate to your buddy you’ve found chocolate.
Dive where nobody else is. Sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised how divers bunch up together in certain sections of Cabrillo Beach. The lobsters are laid out in a specified area. Most divers congregate by the parking area because they just don’t want to have to lug their gear to the far end of the beach. But don’t dive along the boundaries as these tend to be unproductive.
Set up a good search pattern. It does not have to be anything fancy. A good pattern is straight out, turn 90 degrees at a specified depth running parallel to shore, cruise a short distance, and turn 90 degrees toward shore and repeat. Another good pattern is a simple zig-zag out and back in across the specified area.
New Dive Boat in Monterey
Monterey welcomes a new dive boat, the Escapade. She is 38feet long and 12 feet wide. Check her out on the web at http://www.divecentral.com or call 831-465-1185 for more information.
Great Whites Feast, Scientists Go Without
Marine biologists got their hopes up when a 70-foot blue whale showed up dead just south of Stinson Beach. Scientists hoped they could get their hands on the whale, but nature had other plans. Seems a group of great white sharks moved in and claimed the corpse for themselves. Sharks-1, scientists-0.