Taking advantage of a morning without wind, Merry and I set out just after sunrise for a couple of quick dives near Pt. Vicente. We had been thwarted the day before by wind chop, turning around after a few minutes.
Our first dive was another jump on Biodome, a life-filled rock inside the Pt. Vicente Marine Protected Area. We've had to chase off five fishing boats from the MPA this week. I talked to Fish and Wildlife about it. They said it is a popular poaching site but the docents at the Pt. Vicente Interpretive Center have been reporting violators. The Sheriffs even checked us out last week. Unfortunately, the poachers all claim to not know about the MPAs.
Back under the surface, the reef is alive and well. We didn't see any Giant Sea Bass this time, but Olive rockfish and large Sheephead continue patrolling the rock. Many species of nudibranch compete for space among the sponges and hydroids. This is what Palos Verdes used to look like.
We moved to Halfway Reef for our second dive. Although not as healthy as Biodome, Halfway Reef still has a lot to offer photographers. I even found a Conualevia alba, only the third one I've seen.
Visibility was twenty feet with 55° water temperature.
Report and photos at Dive Report; Biodome and Halfway Reef
Our first dive was another jump on Biodome, a life-filled rock inside the Pt. Vicente Marine Protected Area. We've had to chase off five fishing boats from the MPA this week. I talked to Fish and Wildlife about it. They said it is a popular poaching site but the docents at the Pt. Vicente Interpretive Center have been reporting violators. The Sheriffs even checked us out last week. Unfortunately, the poachers all claim to not know about the MPAs.
Back under the surface, the reef is alive and well. We didn't see any Giant Sea Bass this time, but Olive rockfish and large Sheephead continue patrolling the rock. Many species of nudibranch compete for space among the sponges and hydroids. This is what Palos Verdes used to look like.
We moved to Halfway Reef for our second dive. Although not as healthy as Biodome, Halfway Reef still has a lot to offer photographers. I even found a Conualevia alba, only the third one I've seen.
Visibility was twenty feet with 55° water temperature.
Report and photos at Dive Report; Biodome and Halfway Reef
