We met bright and early at Long Beach and after a slow start, were on our way. Catalina Island is very accessible from LA and is a popular destination for short trips for both divers and land visitors. We spent the day moored around the island and did 2 leisurely dives among the kelp forests. The kelp forests are quite a unique underwater environment. Kelp is a type of gigantic leafy seaweed that stretches from the rocky bottom all the way to the surface. The fronds create a natural shelter for juvenile fish so the kelp forests tend to be quite fishy. The highlight of the dives was seeing a few giant sea bass, which can grow up to 2m long, in the distance. During the surface interval, we had a friendly baby sea lion hop onto the back of our boat and hang out for about an hour, which I understand doesn't happen too often! We had a very nice sunny day but the water was around 13C, which was a little chilly in my DUI 30/30 drysuit.
My drysuit neck seal had deteriorated significantly since the last time I used it and I had to duct tape it to my neck to keep the seal watertight. I had to be very careful not to move my head too much to avoid any leaks, and as a result, I wasn't very productive in taking photos.
It was a fun day out and a cool first experience in the kelp forests. Next time, I will be back with a wide angle lens to try to capture the full splendor of the kelp forests.
Curious Garibaldi. 60mm, 1/320s, f/14, ISO 100
Spiny lobster. 60mm, 1/320s, f/14, ISO 100
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