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Swim-throughs, thick kelp, schools of fish, mini-walls and overhangs — sounds like an advanced dive site, doesn’t it? It’s not. Hen Rock is one of the best beginner dive sites at Catalina Island. It has a lot of fun reefs to explore with abundant life, most in shallow water.

A jumble of car-sized boulders make up the labyrinth of the main inner reef with most diving in just 15 to 35 feet of water. Passages include a moderately long tunnel under an arch formed by huge rock sitting atop a few smaller boulders, a narrow causeway with deep overhangs on either side and yet another swim-through with a 90 degree turn half way through. You’ll have to spend a fair amount of time looking to find these features but with depths shallow, a tank of air lasts a long time.

A nice thick (but not too thick) kelp forest is usually growing over the rocks. In and out of kelp weave schools of blacksmith fish, occasionally bronze colored Salema or silvery jack mackerel and even barracuda. When you see barracuda, keep an eye out for giant black sea bass lurking underneath, as barracuda is one of their favorite foods. A bit closer to the rocks giant kelpfish will hide among the kelp, blending in as if they are part of the kelp plant. A keen eye will spot them but they can be hard to follow as they duck for cover in the thick kelp that looks so much like their own body. Other reef fish include rockfish, thousands of colorful blue-banded gobies, and occasionally an exceptionally large calico bass holed up in one of the reef’s many small caves.

The invertebrate life is not too shabby either. Lobsters are quite abundant. As a matter of fact, this is one of the better lobster hunting spots in the area, when in season of course. Along the deeper portions of the reef, the Spanish shawl nudibranch can be found easily displaying its distinctively bright blue-purple and orange colors. Gorgonian sea fans sway in the gentle surge. Other critters include hermit crabs, decorator crabs, a variety of snails including Kellet’s welk, wavy turban snails and Norris top snails notable for their bright orange mantle as the crawl across the kelp fronds on which they feed.

As much as the reef can be fun, be sure to spend some time over the sand. Bat rays are often encountered. Look for round holes in the sand about the size of half-dollar as these are the lairs of the shy mantis shrimp. They are colorful and entertaining to watch. Sheep crabs are always here looking like spiders crawling across the bottom.

Conditions at Hen Rock are very consistent. Lying behind the protection of Long Point to the southwest, waters are generally very calm. With little current, light winds and a solid sand bottom, it is easy to anchor if you are bringing a private vessel over to the island. Water clarity is not stellar but quite good, averaging 40 feet.

And for the intermediate to advanced diver there are small outer reefs in 50 to as much as 85 feet of water.

Hen Rock rarely disappoints. It offers good quality diving with a lot to see with easy conditions. Try it out!

Dive Spot At A Glance
Location: Just to the southeast of Long Point on the frontside of Catalina Island. GPS N 33°24.051’, W 118°21.984’ (GPS for reference only. Do not use as sole source of navigation.)
Access and Entry: Boat only.
Skill Level: All.
Depths: Inner reef 15 to 35 feet; sloping to 85 feet on the outer reefs.
Visibility: Very good, averaging 40 feet.
Snorkeling: Very good in shallow sections near shore and Hen Rock.
Photography: Good for both wide-angle and macro with a wide variety of subjects and settings.
Hunting: Good for lobster in season.
Hazards: Boat traffic.
Suggested Charter Boats Frequently Serving This Area:
Scuba Cat - (800) 353-0330
Island Time - (866) 488-3483
Magician - (661) 268-0590
Mr. C - (310) 521-9737
Great Escape - (866) 348-3262
or see the California Scuba Calendar section of this issue for trips to Catalina Island