Visibility Score
Visibility
10-15 ft
Water temp
57°F
Swell
3-4 ft
Period
9s
Tide
Outgoing / -0.4 ft
Field notes
Dove on the back end of a swell window that was closing faster than forecast. Viz was fair at best — there'd been surge mixing the bottom particulate for two days and the ocean hadn't settled yet. Still worth the water time: the Cove's protected status means the ecosystem is intact regardless of conditions. Sea lions were active and curious. Shot mostly behavior work at close range where the poor visibility actually helped isolate subjects. Low viz is a different kind of opportunity — you learn to see in three feet instead of thirty.
California Sea Lion
Juvenile female followed me for 40 minutes. Textbook play behavior — inverted, exhaling bubble rings, mock charging.
Garibaldi
High density throughout the Cove's rocky zone, some of the largest individuals I've seen at this site.
Señorita Wrasse
Active cleaning stations on multiple larger fish. Great macro opportunity given the compressed viz.
Purple Sea Urchin
Recovery from the 2020 urchin barrens continues — seeing more spiny coverage on previously bare rock.
Get the dive report every Tuesday
Conditions, sightings, and field notes from the water. No spam and no spot-burning.
Weekly dispatch