Cypress Point, Inner Wash Rocks Post Retirement Dive #946 June 18, 2026

Greg Hoberg and I took his boat, our 14th year diving from his rigid inflatable, around Point Pinos and down to Cypress Point. The wind had come up more than expected the previous afternoon and was already a strong breeze on our ride out. The water was choppy and the forecast was for the wind to pick up so we stopped to dive inside the inner wash rocks at Cypress Point, one of our favorite dive sites. The water was very bluish and we enjoyed 30 ft visibility. We had a very good dive, it had been awhile since we'd been out and it was great to get out again. We dived all along a wall that is formed on the south side of the southern wash rock, a beautiful site. Below are some photos from our dive, to see the rest, please fo to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/P1ZZ7gsHYYjZdRF97 The seafloor near the rocks is buried in thousands of mussel shells and the site is full of very large, very well fed, Spiny Sea Stars and Ochre Sea Stars. Below:

A colorful Painted Greenling, about 5 inches long, below:

Fish faces, a Blue Rockfish followed by a Lingcod, followed by a Black and Yellow Rockfish. Below:

A tiny juvenile sea star, not sure if its a Bat Star or another species, about 3/4 inches across, the Strawberry Anemones next to it are about 1/2 inches in diameter. Below:

A Leather Sea Star, about 9 inches across, with Purple Sea Urchins, below:

A Yellow Aeolid Nudibranch, below:

This site is very rough, very surgy, so only diveable with calmer than normal seas. Giant Green Anemones love surgy environments so there are many around these wash rocks. Below:

A White Spotted Rose Anemone, below:

A cool small Rock Crab, about 4 inches across, below:

This is only the second time I've observed that Painted Greenlings can hang out in Sea Anemones. It was very surgy so I was pleased to capture these imperfect photos of it. Below:

Greg, as usual, nailed the navigation back to his boat's anchor to end our dive. We could see that I'd be able to raise it without difficulty. Below:

We had a fast ride back with following seas. We enjoyed seeing a large group of Rizzo's Dolphins withing a half mile of the marina.