C.I. Dive Adventures
Contributor
Channel Islands Dive Adventures has the Asante chartered for a single day trip to Farnsworth & Blue Caverns on Sunday, May 22, 2016.
The plan is to board at 5:30 am Sunday and depart at 6:30 am with us getting back about 4:00 pm. The Asante is fast and the travel to Farnsworth is a little over an hour.
Both Farnsworth & Blue Caverns can be 2 of the best dives at Catalina. Farnsworth Bank is a large seamount consisting of several pinnacles and it is half a mile wide from east to west. It is situated five miles south from the back side of Catalina in the open ocean. It is therefore exposed to all weather conditions and can have strong currents at times. Farnsworth is an ecological reserve where the purple hydrocoral is protected and the only hunting that is allowed is for pelagic fish. The shallowest area is about 55′-60′ deep and most of the dive is like a wall dive with lots of crevices where fish and some morays hang out among all the purple hydrocoral. If conditions are good we will do two dives at Farnsworth before heading to Blue Caverns.
See video on Farnsworth Banks
Protected for many years, Blue Caverns is one of the strictest preserves in all of Southern California. Nothing can be taken or disturbed, not even a sea shell or a rock. Even anchoring is not allowed. As such, the diving is absolutely pristine (albeit difficult). To dive here is a real treat and privilege! The bottom profile is a steep drop off with mini-walls and caves. About in the middle of the preserve is a wall that drops from 30 feet to about 75. It is along that wall you find spectacular caves with hanging gornonians. Diving here is all done by live boat drift diving and can be spectacular. This trip will be excellent for the photographer or sightseer.
Trip Details
The plan is to board at 5:30 am Sunday and depart at 6:30 am with us getting back about 4:00 pm. The Asante is fast and the travel to Farnsworth is a little over an hour.
Both Farnsworth & Blue Caverns can be 2 of the best dives at Catalina. Farnsworth Bank is a large seamount consisting of several pinnacles and it is half a mile wide from east to west. It is situated five miles south from the back side of Catalina in the open ocean. It is therefore exposed to all weather conditions and can have strong currents at times. Farnsworth is an ecological reserve where the purple hydrocoral is protected and the only hunting that is allowed is for pelagic fish. The shallowest area is about 55′-60′ deep and most of the dive is like a wall dive with lots of crevices where fish and some morays hang out among all the purple hydrocoral. If conditions are good we will do two dives at Farnsworth before heading to Blue Caverns.
See video on Farnsworth Banks
Protected for many years, Blue Caverns is one of the strictest preserves in all of Southern California. Nothing can be taken or disturbed, not even a sea shell or a rock. Even anchoring is not allowed. As such, the diving is absolutely pristine (albeit difficult). To dive here is a real treat and privilege! The bottom profile is a steep drop off with mini-walls and caves. About in the middle of the preserve is a wall that drops from 30 feet to about 75. It is along that wall you find spectacular caves with hanging gornonians. Diving here is all done by live boat drift diving and can be spectacular. This trip will be excellent for the photographer or sightseer.
Trip Details
- Where: Farnsworth & Blue Caverns
- Depart from: Ports of Call, San Pedro
- When: Sunday, May 22, 2016
- Time: Board at 5:30 am and depart at 6:30 am with us getting back about 4:00 pm
- Cost: $160.00 includes, 3 dives, lunch, snacks & air
- Pay Online–click here to pay
