Point
BennettCompletely exposed to wind and current, Point Bennett, San Miguel Island, is only accessible in the calmest weather. Even then, navigation through the treacherous shoals of San Miguel's west end requires the full attention of an experienced captain and crew. As a result, recreational divers don't visit Point Bennett very often. The area remains largely untouched, chock-full of game.
"There are places that compare to it," says Bob McClurg, crew member of the Peace, based in Ventura Harbor. A PADI Instructor and a boat Captain with a 100-ton license, Bob has been working and diving the Channel Islands for nearly 30 years. "For my money, the west end of San Miguel on a calm day is about as good as it gets."
Topography, Conditions
Whistlebuoy Reef, about a half mile SW of Point Bennett (and more or less in line between the Point and the buoy), is diveable even less than the inshore reefs. "It has to be a perfect day," Bob says, "or you just can't risk it."
Cross currents are common here. "The wind may blow you one way while the deep current is running another," says McClurg. For that reason, divers should descend the anchor line to the reef, navigate back to the anchor at the end of the dive, and ascend it all the way back to the boat. This is a very deep dive, potentially well beyond the safe limits of recreational diving. By ascending the anchor line, divers will find it much easier to make safety stops.
Whistlebuoy Reef is an amazing structure, like a castle wall with turrets and parapets. Floating above this smallish reef, one feels like an astronaut, descending to the surface of an unknown planet. Depending on the tide, the top may be as deep as 90 feet or as shallow as 60. There is a steep drop-off on the inside of the wall. Even below 100 feet, a tremendous surge often rolls through reef. Surge, depths and currents make Whistlebuoy Reef an advanced site.
The Foul Area
If the weather permits diving at Whistlebuoy Reef, it will also be possible to dive the Foul Area. These are large shoals, extending from Adams Cove on the south all the way round the Point to Wescott Shoals on the north. Approaching this area, the captain must proceed slowly and cautiously. "When we come inside on the west end, we're looking for the drop-off line," says McClurg, referring to a wall which rises to about 30 feet from a rocky bottom at about 70.
The Foul Area is a nearly pristine marine ecosystem. The entire west end of San Miguel falls within the San Miguel Ecological Preserve, a five-mile strip of shoreline which extends from Castle Rock on the north side of the island to Judith Rock on the south. All boats must maintain a minimum distance of 100 yards from shore from March 15 to April 30 and October 1 to December 15; 300 yards, the rest of the year. Throughout the Foul Area, lush kelp stands grow everywhere; the rocks are alive with invertebrates; the water teems with fish.
Some authorities consider the Foul Area an advanced site. With a swell, that might be so, but for a dive charter boat to navigate here, the conditions must be mild. The depths are moderate and it's usually not necessary to swim far from the boat. For these reasons, I rate the Foul Area as an Intermediate site.
Game, Ethical Considerations
You can find some fairly large scallops on Whistlebuoy Reef, but harvesting them in heavy surge is a chore. Hunters come here mainly to spear fish. Three-foot ling cod are common at Whistlebuoy. Large vermilion rockfish abound in Adams Cove. I have seen hunters "limit out" on lings, vermilions and other sebastes in one dive.
Since vermilions grow slowly; a 15-pounder may be 70 years old. Once divers strip a reef of mature individuals, the local population may not recover for many years. Point Bennett is one of the few remaining Southern California sites where a diver has the luxury of asking himself, "How much should I take?"
Photography & Sight-seeing
At Whistlebuoy, it's hard to stay in one place long enough to take pictures. The Foul Area, on the other hand, presents a rich selection of macro subjects and, if the water is clear, a chance for wide-angle shots of sea lions and fish. On a sunny day, the reef sparkles with light and color. A protracted, shallow dive can be a sightseer's delight.
Divers usually encounter California sea lions from the rookery on the north side of Point Bennett. Females and juveniles are moody critters. One day, delightfully playful and curious; another time, downright hostile. Adult males are almost always mean. Use caution around these animals.
On the south side, Northern elephant seals haul out to mate, molt and give birth at various times of year. It must be noted that immature elephant seals are a favorite prey of great white sharks. Although white shark sightings are extremely rare here, and everywhere else, one may have killed a commercial urchin diver near Point Bennett in 1994. It's probably wise to avoid long surface swims.
The west end of San Miguel Island is a true wilderness, home to some of the most amazing creatures on earth. For experienced divers, Point Bennett provides extraordinary examples of two types of Southern California diving: the pinnacle at Whistlebuoy reef and the reef walls and the kelp stands of the Foul Area.
Dive Spot At - A - Glance
Location:
West end of San Miguel Island, within the San Miguel Ecological
Preserve. GPS Coordinates (Whistlebuoy Reef): W 34.01.27, N 120.27.99
(GPS for reference only. Do not use as sole source of navigation.)
Skill Level: Foul Area: Intermediate. Whistlebuoy Reef: Advanced.
Depths: Foul Area: 30 to 80 feet. Whistlebuoy Reef: 80 to 130+ feet.
Visibility: In calm weather, visibility often extends to 50 feet. However, with a heavy plankton bloom, it can be pretty soupy above the thermocline.
Temperature: Rarely above 55° F, except in late summer, when it may reach 65°.
Currents: Cross currents are common. At Whistlebuoy, divers may encounter heavy surge, even at depths of 100 feet and more.
Game:
Large vermilion rock fish and ling cod, other rock fish, some
scallops.
Photography: Good macro subjects on rocky structures. Wide-angle: pinnipeds.
Suggested Dive Charter Boats Frequently Serving This Area:
Spectre - (805) 483-6612
Peace - (805)
984-2025
Truth/Conception/Vision
- (805) 962-1127
Liberty - (805) 642-6655
Explorer - (805) 646-0836
or see the California Scuba Calendar section of this issue for trips to San Miguel Island
