Secret Garden PM, Wed Nov 28, 2007
From the shore I could see the waves fluorescing green as they broke like a fluffy white boa laid across the water at night. After the hike across the beach to the waters edge, we entered, eager to become weightless. We inflated BCs, donned fins and kicked out becoming glowing green figures in the mist. We gathered close and dropped through the haze in the water. Dropped to 48fsw! Nice, right at the edge of the canyon.
Just then my light caught something in the distance of the draw flying towards us. Out of the depth it came and swerved toward me with its huge white underbelly exposed with the lifting of its wing. The huge dark puppy dog eyes perusing who had just entered its domain. She was as elegant as she was large. I haven’t seen to many Bat Rays this year so this was a nice opening salvo to the dive.
Hugging the south edge of the draw we found all kinds of new holes, cavelets and burroughs mostly filled with sleeping Sheephead that appeared preposterously large I think from the angle and water magnification. Blennies, Fringehead, Rockfish, Greenlings all huddled near a hole, some sleeping and some keeping a watchful eye. In the draw we found a smorgesbord buffet set out for all manner of crustaceans. A large halibut laid in the draw dead, now food for a dozen Sheepcrab, 6 lobsters and a couple large rock crabs and others. Nearby a decorator crab almost too large for its attached sponges was making a late approach to dinner. Without an invitation, we left the dinner to find the Garden and there it was, right where it should be. Gorgonians and anemeones challenged each other for color bragging rights while some ocotpuses wandered about or some just slept. Various Shrimp roamed from hole to hole and dorids clung where they could.
We meandered lazily, circling the garden slowly until at last I put the turn signal on and headed South for Vallecitos Pt. We crossed the large plain of bottom sand as we headed slowly up to 90, 80, 70, then 60fsw. Along the Pt. we found more of the same and of course my favorites, octopuses. At last we headed E-S/E into the shallows. We dawdled with several baby guitarfish, poked around to find small crabs, gazed at the shimmering fish speeding by. Before we knew it, we were under the lights of the Sea Lodge in 4 ft of water ready to stand, remove fins, hit the showers and walk back to our cars.
Map to Dive Site at SeaStarAdventures.com
Surf: 1 – 2 ft.
Viz: 20 – 30 ft (as far as light would allow)
Max depth: 109 fsw
Temp: 57F
Tags: la jolla, seastar adventures, scuba san diego, diving conditions, night dive
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