San Diego · United States · Reef · Kelp forest
Divers Disneyland
Sand, giant rock crevices and kelp on one shallow Point Loma dive
A newer Point Loma site with a bit of everything in 17–20 m of water: sandy bottom, giant rocky crevices and giant kelp. Garibaldi, horn sharks and lingcod live on the reef, and the rock holds large numbers of nudibranchs, which makes it one of the more varied stops on the kelp and reef trips.
Where it is and how deep
No published position for this site — the map shows San Diego and its other sites; operators know the mooring.
The dive
The site mixes three kinds of bottom in a small space, all between 17 m and 20 m (55–65 ft). Patches of sand separate giant rocky crevices, and giant kelp grows up from the rock, so the dive moves from open sand into the kelp and along the cracks in the reef without much change in depth.
Garibaldi, horn sharks and lingcod all live on the reef, and the crevices and rock faces carry large numbers of nudibranchs, which reward a slow look on the way back to the boat. The site is a newer addition to the Point Loma schedule and has been a hit on every visit since, with a different mix of bottom on each part of the dive.
Marine life and season
- Nudibranchs
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good |
Season follows San Diego: Visibility is best from late summer into autumn and poorest from late winter through spring; lobster season runs October to March.
Sources
- Divers Disneyland | San Diego Dive Site — Marissa Charters
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Similar dives elsewhere
Surface-breaking rock in kelp with lingcod and rockfish at 6–15 m
Rocky ground to 15 m with lingcod, cabezon and kelp bass
Rocky reef spine and replanted giant kelp a short swim off the sand
Nudibranchs and leopard sharks a short swim from the ramp