Visibility Score
Visibility
20-30 ft
Water temp
60°F
Swell
2-3 ft
Period
10s
Tide
High / +3.2 ft
Field notes
Ferry over from San Pedro on a glassy crossing. Casino Point was in solid shape — not the blue-water magic you get in summer, but the kelp forest interior was protected enough from the outer swell to make for easy work. High tide meant the surge stayed manageable. Viz softened toward 20 feet in the shallower sections from some residual mixing after last week's rain, but below 30 it opened up nicely. The marine park boundary holds — fish density here is always noticeably higher than outside the preserve.
Leopard Shark
Three individuals resting in the sand channel near the anchor line, stacked almost on top of each other.
California Moray Eel
Large adult, 4+ ft, in a crack at 18 ft. Actively hunting, not stationary — watched for 15 minutes.
Opaleye
Dense school at mid-water column throughout the dive, classic Catalina.
Giant Kelpfish
Several adults perfectly camouflaged in the fronds. Nearly impossible to photograph without the pattern contrast trick.
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