California Channel Islands Scuba Diving Adventure – Day 1

By on May 12th, 2008 in Archive

Divemaster Tricia here. Captain Mike has pneumonia and had to go back to Vancouver. The “other” Captain Mike (Innes) is onboard. We left Ensenada yesterday afternoon after our guests were transferred down by luxury highway coach, steamed overnight and set the anchor at San Clemente Island this morning. This is my first time diving the California Channel Islands but the very able Captain Eric Kett (formerly of Truth Aquatics) is working dive operations and knows this area like the back of his hand. We dove Window Pane with its fabulous kelp forest. And then Pyramid Cove which was especially great with large schools of blue rockfish and lots of sea lions hanging around.

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The Ratfish of Dillon Rock

By on June 16th, 2007 in Archive, Captain Mike

Yaayyhhh Shushartie Bay! It’s such a great place to visit. We are usually able to observe lots of black bears on the beach, the shore hiking is great (unless you run into a black bear!) and the kayaking is excellent. Dillon Rock is a famous dive site and is a pinnacle that barely breaks the surface at the entrance to Shushartie Bay. Regardless of the visibility, it is always a crowd-pleasing dive with lots of wolf-eels (7 at last count), lots of giant Pacific octopus (gpd’s to use the local vernacular), a beautiful kelp forest, rare vermillion rock-fish and loads of ratfish swimming around on the flats just off the rock. 

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Diving with Mudsharks at Telegraph Cove

By on June 9th, 2007 in Archive, Captain Mike

Walt’s Wall on Pearce Island turned out to be the highlight of today with spectacular visibility. We were able to see waayyyy down the wall from the deck of the skiff and enjoyed the dive almost as much as our divers!! It is a spectacular site much like San Miguel Island in the Channel Islands with heavy invertebrate life throughout the kelp forest and down over the edge of the wall.

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