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Talcott Shoal
We all want to knock 'em dead the opening week of lobster season, perhaps even limiting out a day or two of those first few days. And it is always fun |
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Author |
: Bruce Watkins |
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Location |
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Monterey County
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Date |
: February 01, 2008 |
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When the winter wind and storms blow, it may not always be possible to dive on Monterey’s exposed points. However, when conditions are not optimal, you can almost always find a good dive in the most protected areas near the Monterey Harbor. While there are many dive sites within the City of Monterey, one stands out as the area's most popular—The Breakwater.
Most of us who were certified in Northern California remember the Breakwater as the site of our first dive. The Breakwater’s calm, shallow water make it a great place for scuba instruction, while the abundance of marine critters makes it a popular place for photographers and sightseers. Most dive classes enter at the foot of the Breakwater and swim 40 yards or so where the water is 30 to 40 feet deep. There they find a sand and patch reef. This is a perfect place to demonstrate scuba skills, and there is plenty of marine life on the rocks for a tour later in the dive. More advanced divers, particularly photographers, should dive along large granite blocks of the breakwater. To conserve air, I normally surface swim and submerge either the bend in the breakwater or the fence that separates people from sea lions. Don't forget to look down as you swim out. You will pass by a large antique anchor and beds of sand dollars.
In many areas the rock blocks are covered with a lush carpet of strawberry anemones, which make interesting subjects for macro photography. Numerous fish eating anemones with their bright red bases, as well as the large green anemones are common near the end of the breakwater, along with some mighty big sea stars. One of the most beautiful creatures found here are the nudibranchs. Members of the dorid family are very common and can be seen grazing on sponges. This group of nudibranchs includes the bright yellow lemon nudibranch, the white-and-black ringed dorid, and the orange-spots-on-white clown nudibranch. The generally more colorful and ostentatious group, the aeolids, are also quite common here including the thick-horned aeolid.
One of the biggest attractions that the Breakwater has to offer is its large colony of California sea lions. The last half of the breakwater is not accessible to people and is a favorite haul-out of these large and noisy mammals. Their barking can be heard for some distance both above and below the water. Divers can get a close up look of the herd as the sea lions sun themselves and an even closer look underwater. While normally shy when on land, the sea lions are at home in the water and lose much of their fear of people. The sea lions will normally dive down and investigate divers. They sometimes charge a diver at full speed, only to veer off at the moment before contact. They also seem to have great fun barking underwater, leaving a belch of bubbles in their wake.
At the base of the breakwater stretches a sand bottom. The sand is dotted with sea pens and white, orange and purple tube-dwelling anemones as well as aggregating anemones. Living among the tube-dwelling anemones can be found the largest California nudibranch—the rainbow nudibranch. These dendronotids are excellent swimmers and feed on, and lay eggs, on the tube-dwelling anemones.
Keep a keen eye for octopuses among the anemones as well. These are most easily found at night, but may be found during daylight by looking under drifting kelp fronds. No matter if the seas are big or flat, you can almost always have a fun dive at the Breakwater.
Dive Spot At A Glance
Location: At the south end of Cannery Row at the Monterey Harbor.
Access and entry: Park in the fee lot at the foot of the breakwater or in the lot above. Bring plenty of quarters, as the change machine does not always work. It is a short walk via stone stairs to a narrow, sandy beach. Restrooms, freshwater showers, water for boat washing, and a free lunching ramp are available. Glenn's Aquarius II Dive Shop is located in the lot on the Breakwater, Monterey Bay Dive Company is located on Cannery Row on the far side of the lower parking lot.
Depths: 15 to 60 feet
Skill Level: All
Visibility: 10 to 30 feet
Hunting: This area is within Ed Ricketts State Marine Conservation Area; only finfish may be taken with hook and line; no spearfishing is permitted.
Photography: Great macro for nudibranchs and other invertebrates; great place for sea lion shots.
Hazards: Watch for boat traffic.
Recorded diving conditions: (831) 657-1020
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