Posted by Max Bottomtime on June 16, 2005 at 21:32:51:
Date: 6/16
Dive Location:Malaga Cove
Time: 6:34
Bottom Time: 1:14
Max Depth: 26'
Vis: 6-8'
Wave height: 1 - 2 1/2
Temp at depth: 63F
Surface Temp: 63F
Tide information: High tide at 6:57
Gas mix: Air (21%)
Comments: Claudette Dorsey, aka HBDivegirl invited me to explore Malaga Cove this evening. I hadn't made a beach dive here in more than a decade, but it was just as I remembered...shallow with lots of eel grass. I've been diving around Palos Verdes since 1989 and tonight was the first time I've seen a Moray eel here. Claudette pointed him out, so we stayed with him for about ten minutes. As we surged along the rocky reefs interspersed with sand channels we were hoping to find a Batray in the sand. No luck with that, but we found a medium sized Halibut and Claudette saw a Not-So_Giant Black Seabass. She said it was about two feet long. Lots of juvenile lobsters in the shallows as well as baby Garibaldis everywhere. We even found a one inch long sculpin. The nursery is alive and well!
The water was warm at 63F and the plankton bloom/red tide is back. The surface was a murky brown, but we found surprisingly good vis in ten feet of water during our swim back in. Thanks again, Claudette for the eel! :D