Last Tuesday November 1, 2016 I was on a three day lobster hunting trip aboard the Peace. Our first dive of the day was in the Pelican Preserve at Anacapa Island since it is open to lobster hunting in November and December.

The area is relatively shallow, 45 feet on the deep edge of the reef up to the shore. There are many scattered rock piles and areas of sand. There are strands of Kelp mixed with invasive Sargassum as well as many other types of algae found in shallow areas.

The 64ºF water was calm with about 50 foot visibility.

The lobster I saw, except for one that was too far back to get to, were all short. However I saw several things that made me think I was diving much farther south.

As I was swimming across a sandy area I saw a Chelonia mydas (Green Sea Turtle) swim right by me. As I watched it swim off into the distance I then saw a large (15" long) Balistes polylepis (Finescale Triggerfish). I observed it for a minute and then continued my search for lobster. As I was looking under the rocks I saw several Apogon guadalupensis (Guadalupe Cardinalfish).

Although I found no legal sized bugs, the sights made this a great dive. This was the first time I had seen a turtle while diving in California. I had seen them from the boat at Catalina and San Clemente islands, but never while in the water. I saw a Balistes polylepis (Finescale Triggerfish) last year at Cortes Bank, but this is my first at Anacapa. My friend Suzy had seen carinalfish at Anacapa and Catalina this year, but this was my first time seeing them anywhere in California besides San Clemente Island. It was a great dive.

• Re: Subtropical Anacapa: Pelican Preserve Kathy K. 14:08:56 11/09/16 (0)
• Re: Subtropical Anacapa: Pelican Preserve seahunt 05:19:42 11/05/16 (1)
  • Re: Re: Subtropical Anacapa: Pelican Preserve halibug 14:15:22 11/05/16 (0)