Charlie's Diving Blog: Fun Dives on the Pinnacles and on Cypress Point's Inner Wash Rocks 9-8-2023

Monday, September 11, 2023

Fun Dives on the Pinnacles and on Cypress Point's Inner Wash Rocks 9-8-2023

Greg Hoberg and I caught another calm day and zipped around the Monterey Peninsula from the Coast Guard Breakwater boat launch to dive the Pinnacles and the Inner Wash Rocks off Cypress Point. We decided to make our first dive on the thriving Giant Kelp Forest on the Pinnacles. Visibility was 15 to 20 ft and it was very dark due to the combination of the marine layer blocking the sun, the heavy kelp coverage (hurray!!), and the limited visibility with heavy plankton bloom in the top 20 ft. A very enjoyable dive with lots of rock fish, a couple Cabezon, and a couple of Ling Cod, one quite large. Below are some photos from our dive on the Pinnacles. To see more, please go to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/HAbkbCEqXScRkYsi6 Below: China Rock Fish

Above: Cabezon, my favorite local fish subject. Below: Large Ling Cod

Below: The Pinnacles have lots of beautiful Hydro Coral.

Below: Lingcod

Below: Large, fat, Spiny Sea Star devouring a large Acorn Barnacle

Below: I much prefer doing our safety stop at the end of a dive next to Giant Kelp. The water was quite green at 20 ft.

Our second dive was on the Inner wash rocks off Point Cypress. This is an excellent dive but only when there is only a small swell or less. Visibility was again 54 F, visibility ranged from 15 to 40 ft dependent on where we were relative to the wash rocks and breaking seas on them. Below are some photos from this dive, for more, please go to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/vv23yo14pG8oFNgP8 Below: Greg near the anchor as we start our dive. There was no Giant Kelp, sadly, but at least there was still some surviving Palm Kelp.