Report: Catalina Dive Park Kelp May 15, 2015

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watchmanjc

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Location
Camarillo, Calif.
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My wife and I went to Catalina this last Friday to celebrate our 33rd anniversary and she insisted I take the opportunity to dive the Park, what great wife! I had heard the place was pretty barren as far as the kelp was concerned. I found one small stalk that I thought was the sole survivor until I come across this small batch. I'm sure there is more, but I stayed above 38ft and enjoyed an hour long dive. After a year and 7 months dry, it was great to be back in the water. Temp was a balmy 63 degrees.

2015 Anniversary Dive kelp.jpg
 

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Catalina is better with the Kelp but a very enjoyable dive without the Kelp also.
 
The water temperatures have been very warm this year. I expect a major kelp die off this summer.
 
The water temperatures have been very warm this year. I expect a major kelp die off this summer.

Assuming it even recovers from the very warm waters we've had over the past 12 months. This has been a very sad period for me. As a kelp forest ecologist, I like nice healthy kelp forests to explore and study (although events like these are also important to investigate).

Staying above 40 ft did limit your ability to see the kelp that is in the deeper, cooler water. Not much there either though. Out towards the harbor end of the park there is more kelp even though the invasive Sargassum horneri is still fairly thick out there, too. It has prevented the giant kelp gametophytes from forming new sporophytes because it literally cuts off the light to the rocky substrate (and sucks what little nutrients are left in the warm waters out). In years past before the Sargassum gained its strong foothold, recovery of the giant kelp was much easier.
 
I have dove Catalina several times in a 7mm. You will really enjoy it!
 
Nice photos, even without the kelp. Did you wear a 7mm? I really want to dive Catalina, but am a warm-water diver! I don't really want to get into dry-suits, at least not yet. :)

Yes, I did wear a 7mm suit as always and was very comfortable. The only change I usually make is to dive without a hood in the late summer and fall.
 
This is a warm year... I've been wearing my 3/2mm full wetsuit all winter (although after I got back from Palau I added a 3mm hooded vest due to the temperature difference). We've been seeing bottom temps at depths of 90-100 ft in the low 60s all winter. Of course most people wear a 7mm, but these temps are 6-10 degrees higher than a "normal" year.
 
This is a warm year... I've been wearing my 3/2mm full wetsuit all winter (although after I got back from Palau I added a 3mm hooded vest due to the temperature difference). We've been seeing bottom temps at depths of 90-100 ft in the low 60s all winter. Of course most people wear a 7mm, but these temps are 6-10 degrees higher than a "normal" year.

Hey Dr. Bill, what do you attribute the warm water to? Have seen it like this before?
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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