Posted by Brad on January 13, 2002 at 12:03:20:
In Reply to: Brad , Concerning your pictures posted by dawhale on January 13, 2002 at 10:56:15:
Hello dawhale. That picture is a Soupfin shark and it was taken at San Clemente Island. It was taken during a rare and wonderful encounter over three days with a pack of about 20 mature individuals.
The Cortes Bank is a beautiful submerged mountain top located about a hundred miles off the Southern California coast. The mountain juts up from the sea flool, holds its face to the sun and there you will find a plush kelp forest alone in the vast wilderness of the open sea! The kelp forest is situated on a plain that varies from 30' to about 65', the area strewn with boulders.
There used to be a pinicle rock formation on the high plain, it was called Bishop Rock. Back in 85', a prominent Naval vessel had an unfortunate encounter with the rock and shortly after that it mysteriously disappeared...
The Cortes Bank is the most distant feature off the California coast and can be a tricky destination as the closest point of land is mid-island SCI, some 40nm away. It is one of my favorite places to swim and spend the night, but you have to be very mindful of the wind and seas. I've only managed to spent 16 nights out there since 94' even though i have always been ready to go when the right conditions coinside. My criteria is no appreciable wind in the forcast and an 8' (diminishing) swell or less. Those conditions also have to be attached to a weekend. (working for a living really cuts into my fun:(
There is a shipwreck situated in about 30' on the high plane. That is where i like to swim because it has incredible habitat. That particular spot will crest at about 9' and it is not very fun to have to sit out a few swells in order to catch a glimpse of the skiff, particularily at night. That is why i now only venture out there during times of diminishing swell.
I'd love to talk more about that fabuluous place, but wifezilla is calling for me to do a bunch of stuff around the house....
:)
Brad
(off working for permission to take the next trip!)
Brad