| Island Reef does not get its name due to its proximity to Anacapa Island but rather that it is actually off away from the island surrounded by sand, kind of an island on the bottom off all by itself -- a big island of rock in a sea of sand.
But Island Reef is much more than just a rock in the middle of the sand. This is a huge reef that covers, by my estimate, over a half an acre of ocean floor. It rises from the 50 to 55 foot bottom vertically in several portions as much as 25 feet. A great deal of the top is a plateau at about 20 to 25 feet down. Oblong in nature, it not difficult to circumnavigate the reef in one dive, but I recommend taking your time to absorb the delightful creatures that color this reef.
The most colorful are the anemones, specifically the small corynactis anemones. Alone, they are not much larger than the end of your finger but they always gather in colonies of as little as a dozen creatures (yes, they are animals) to hundreds of individuals. It is this patchwork that gives this reef such an interesting appearance. And the patches vary in color. Most are pink but here and there are red splotches, lavender groupings and even some that are almost all white.
Another beautiful anemone found here is the white-spotted rose anemone with its bright red mantle and lushly colored tentacles. Get out your guide book; you're going to need it -- you'll see stubby rose anemones, green anemones and near the bottom of the reef, near the sand, the moonglow anemone.
While definitely not rare, another animal here that gives a carpet effect is the thousands (if not millions) of brittle stars on the rocks at the base of the reef. Some divers curse them because some reefs become overrun, but if you look closely at these creatures you cannot help but admire their intricate colors and textures.
Stars, brittle or otherwise, are not in any shortage on this reef, many of them quite colorful. On a recent dive I must have counted a half-dozen different varieties including blood, ochre, sand, bat, and giant-spined stars.
More colorful dots for the reef are the nudibranchs. Spanish shawls are abundant here. Hermissenda and Hilton's aeolid are also common. Also a slow moving sea slug, you'll also enjoy photographing the less spectacular but just as interesting sea hare. Get the right angle, hold your camera steady, get close and you'll get its tiny black eyes in your frame.
In case you have not yet figured it out, this is a good spot for the beginner macro photographer. Simply put, there are a lot of colorful material that will sit relatively still for you to get just the right angle and lighting. Somebody looking for more challenging camera quarry will not be disappointed here. I had a great time photographing the abundant painted greenlings. Sometimes they will sit still for a few seconds, other times they will not.
But you do not need to be an underwater photographer to enjoy this site, just a diver with a taste for the beautiful. Schools of blacksmith fish cruise the top of the reef. Over the edge you'd find stands of gold, red and purple gorgonian. Adding to the patchwork of the walls next to the corynactis anemones are a variety of sponges including the bright yellow mustard sponge, deep blue cobalt sponge and orange puff-ball sponge.
This dive site is fairly well known and is frequented by the dive charter boats out of Ventura and Santa Barbara. Finding the reef is not difficult at all and easy to anchor if you are on a private boat. It is usually easy to dive, unless the currents come up which they sometimes do. Kelp is seasonal, rarely thick and often completely gone.
Island Reef is an easy, delightful dive for all levels of divers. The only requirement is a hunger for color and enthusiasm for the beauty of the underwater world of Anacapa Island.
Location: On the backside of West Anacapa Island west of Cat Rock. (GPS: W34°00.379', N119°25.837' For reference only. Do not use GPS as your sole source of navigation.)
Access: Boat only.
Skill Level: All
Depths: 20 to 55 feet
Visibility: Very good, averages 30 to 40 feet (not unusual to see the reef from the surface).
Photography: Excellent for all levels of macro, good wide-angle at the drop-offs.
Hunting: A few small scallops and lobster, occasional halibut, little else.
Hazards: Currents
Suggested Dive Charter Boats Frequently Serving This Area:
Spectre - (805) 483-6612
Peace - (805) 650-3483
Raptor -- (805) 650-7700
Truth/Conception/Vision - (805) 962-1127
or see the California Scuba Calendar section for trips to Anacapa Island |
