Page 172 - California Diving and Surfing

t is also an excellent environment for con- become your dive buddies. Located here is lobsters of San Nick”. Because of its hostile
Arch Reef, a huge submerged underwater and productive dive environment, it has
I ducting classified operations. Although become legendary among California divers.
the island is officially uninhabited as of the archway in a rock wall that you can easily The weather and remoteness of San Nicolas
makes it much harder to get to then the
2000 U.S. Census, it is estimated that the swim through. Brittle Star Reef is another other islands. The diving is usually done
on the north and west sides of the island
number of military and civilian personnel popular macro photography dive site. Here while the eastern side is generally off limits.
San Nicolas has thick forests of giant kelp
on the island numbers at least 200 at any the bottom literally moves because it is around the entire island, attracting marine
mammals, fish and invertebrates. A diverse
given time. The island has a small airport blanketed with millions of moving starfish mixture of northern cold-water and south-
ern warm-water fish intermingle in the
and several buildings, including telemetry arms. island waters. Sea fans, sea stars, anemo-
nes, lobsters, sea lions, harbor seals and
reception antennas. B egg Rock is a small remote offshore elephant seals are abundant at San Nicolas
“rock” and is a deep divers dream with Island.
O ne of the dives sites here, Begg Rock, “razorback ridge” a sheer drop straight
can be spectacular: it is a system of
reefs and pinnacles that reach below rec- down to the black abyss. Begg Rock rises

reational dive limits. It is home to brightly 300 feet from the ocean floor to the surface

colored anemones, enormous scallops, sea and is carpeted with invertebrate life and

stars, sculpin, and octopuses. During the big fish.

proper season hunters come here for the D iving at San Nicolas Island is more
record size lobsters, and halibut. The island for the advanced diver looking for
is home to hundreds of California Sea

Lions and Harbor Seals and they often will an adventure hunting the legendary “Bull