POINT LOBOS DIVE WELL WORTH THE COLD.Byline: BILL BECHER The water is so cold parts of me shrink and might never be found again. I'm 90 feet deep in the Pacific Ocean, scuba diving scuba diving Swimming done underwater with a self-contained underwater-breathing apparatus (scuba), as opposed to skin diving, which requires only a snorkel, goggles, and flippers. Scuba gear was invented by Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Émile Gagnan in 1943. at Point Lobos State Reserve Point Lobos State Reserve commonly referred to as simply Point Lobos is a sea side state reserve south of Monterey, California, north of Big Sur. The very precipitous drop in the ocean floor off Point Lobos (reaching levels characteristic of the mid Pacific within a few near Monterey, one of the prime diving spots in Northern California Northern California, sometimes referred to as NorCal, is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The region contains the San Francisco Bay Area, the state capital, Sacramento; as well as the substantial natural beauty of the redwood forests, the northern . Our guide and dive master, Phil Sammet, is wearing a dry suit. Waterproof and stuffed with comfy insulation, dry suits are more than a fashion statement for scuba divers - Sammet dives in Alaska wearing his. But I'm in a neoprene neoprene: see rubber. neoprene Any of a class of elastomers (rubberlike synthetic organic compounds of high molecular weight) made by polymerization of the monomer 2-chloro-1,3-butadiene and vulcanized (cross-linked, like rubber), by sulfur, suit, OK for Southern California's 60-degree water but not quite warm enough for the 50 degrees at this marine preserve. It's a shame to be distracted by the cold, because the visibility is great - nearly 50 feet. There is a lot to see: Schools of blue rockfish The blue rockfish, Sebastes mystinus, is a rockfish of the Pacific coast found from Alaska to Baja California. Blue rockfish have a relatively smooth and oval appearance compared to other members of Sebastes, with very few head spines. hover along the kelp, two-toned sheephead fin by. The fish, free from hunting pressure, are plentiful and easy to approach. Rockfish rockfish, member of the large family Scorpaenidae (rockfishes and scorpionfishes), carnivorous fish inhabiting all seas and especially abundant in the temperate waters of the Pacific. Rockfishes are found among rocks and reefs. and lingcod lingcod Commercially popular fish species (Ophiodon elongatus) that is strictly marine, found along the Pacific coast of North America. It is a voracious predator with a large mouth and caninelike teeth. abound, making Point Lobos a living advertisement for marine reserves. A sea lion sea lion, fin-footed marine mammal of the eared seal family (Otariidae). Like the other member of this family, the fur seal, the sea lion is distinguished from the true seal by its external ears, long, flexible neck, supple forelimbs, and hind flippers that can be swims up to get a closer look at the strange creatures with masks and tanks. Point Lobos was named after ``Lobos Marinos'' - sea wolves - what early Spanish explorers called California sea lions. Sea otters also inhabit Point Lobos. They keep warm by burning calories at three times a human's rate; they don't have a layer of blubber like whales and seals. Nature also has equipped them with their own dry suits. Otter pelts have over a million fine hairs per square inch. (Humans have 100,000 hairs or fewer on their heads). To stoke their metabolic fires, the otters can eat a quarter of their body weight in crabs, snails, urchins, clams, mussels and other invertebrates in a day. Unfortunately, their highly prized fur meant sea otters were nearly hunted to extinction - only 50 were left off Big Sur Big Sur Scenic region along the Pacific coast of California, U.S. It comprises a ruggedly beautiful stretch of seacoast 100 mi (160 km) long. Popular with tourists and naturalists, it extends southward from Carmel to the Hearst Castle at San Simeon. in 1938. Today, slightly more than 2,000 sea otters live off the California coast. We're diving the Great Pinnacle at Blue Fish Cove, one of two natural coves that protect the Point Lobos Reserve from Pacific swells. The richness of marine life is due in part to the Carmel and Monterey Canyons - deep underwater channels that allow nutrient-rich (and very cold) water to well up near shore. The Great Pinnacle is first in line for this underwater food conveyer. It's ablaze with strawberry anemone and crowned with bull kelp that sways in the gentle waves. Invertebrate invertebrate (ĭn'vûr`təbrət, –brāt'), any animal lacking a backbone. The invertebrates include the tunicates and lancelets of phylum Chordata, as well as all animal phyla other than Chordata. life, including hydrocoral hy·dro·cor·al n. Any of various colonial marine hydrozoans of the order Hydrocorallinae, having a limestone skeleton and thus resembling the true corals. (not a true coral), cowries and nudibrancs, colorful shell-less snail-like creatures, cling to the rocky point that rises more than a hundred feet from the ocean bottom. Diving access at Point Lobos is strictly regulated. Only 15 two-person dive teams are allowed each day. Reservations are recommended. Divers can only enter the water at the ramp at Whaler WHALER, mar. law. A vessel employed in the whale fishery. 2. It is usual for the owner of the vessel, the captain and crew, to divide the profits in just proportions, under an agreement similar to the contract Di Colonna. (q.v.) Cove. Hand-launchable boats are allowed; that's how we've reached the pinnacles. A kayak is an ideal way to access the dive sites at Blue Fish Cove. But divers don't need watercraft to enjoy what has been described as California's best shore-diving site. Most divers just don their gear and walk into the water at Whaler's Cove. Nondivers can hike the scenic trails around Point Lobos. That's also a good way to warm up after a dive. MONTEREY EXPERIENCES Monterey is about a 5 1/2-hour drive from L.A. The aquarium is located on historic Cannery Row in Monterey. Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily, except Christmas; from 9:30 a.m. during holiday periods and summer months (Memorial Day to Labor Day). The box office closes at 5:30 p.m. All programs and special exhibitions are included with aquarium admission of $17.95 adult (18 and over); $14.95 student (13-17 or with college ID) and senior (65 and over); and $7.95 children (3-12) and the disabled. Children under 3 are admitted free. Advance tickets are available by calling the aquarium at (800) 756-3737. They're also available at (831) 648-4937 and online through the aquarium's Web site, www.mbayaq.org. Guests at Monterey Peninsula hotels can buy tickets at hotel front desks. Visitors can book rooms and learn about special lodging packages at (888) 221-1010; or visit www.montereyinfo.org. The Asilomar Conference Grounds, a California State Park operated by Delaware North Parks Services, which also has the Yosemite concession, is billed as a meeting spot. It's also a great place for families to stay at a reasonable price in the Monterey area and enjoy guided nature walks on the beach next to the famed golf course at Spanish Bay. Information: (888) 733-9005 or www.VisitAsilomar.com. --For a reservation to dive at Point Lobos, call (831) 624-8413, visit pointlobos.org, or e-mail ptlobos(at)mbay.net. Only 15 teams of two divers are allowed each day. There is a $7 fee per dive-team reservation in addition to the $4 per vehicle state park entry fee. Bring a C-card from a recognized organization such as NAUI NAUI National Association of Underwater Instructors , PADI, YMCA YMCA in full Young Men's Christian Association Nonsectarian, nonpolitical Christian lay movement that aims to develop high standards of Christian character among its members. , NASDS NASDS National Association of Scuba Diving Schools NASDS North American Sheep Dog Society , SSI (1) See server-side include and single-system image. (2) (Small-Scale Integration) Less than 100 transistors on a chip. See MSI, LSI, VLSI and ULSI. 1. (electronics) SSI - small scale integration. 2. , etc. You also will need a picture ID if your certification card doesn't have your photo. Reservations are not transferable, and the person who made the reservation has to be part of the dive team. Diving alone is not allowed, divers and hand-launchable boats can enter only at the ramp at Whaler's Cove. If your boat uses a trailer, it must be parked at Rat Hill. Diving is restricted to Whaler's Cove and Blue Fish Cove; all other areas of the reserve are closed to diving. No fishing, collecting or disturbing the wildlife. For more information, call (831) 624-4909 or visit pointlobos.org. For general information about Point Lobos, visit pt-lobos.parks.state.ca.us. Local scuba instructor and photographer Phil Sammet suggests wearing a dry dive suit or a new seven-millimeter suit with a hooded vest. He can be reached at captdeep(at)earthlink.net or (831) 372 3200 for guided dives at Point Lobos and other Monterey Bay sites. ``A Diver's Guide to Monterey County, California'' by Bruce Watkins, published by California Diving News, has great information, photos and maps for scuba divers. A good guide to hiking in the area is ``Monterey Bay Trails'' by David Weintraub, from Wilderness Press in Berkeley. CAPTION(S): photo, box Photo: Divers have an easy walk-in entry at Point Lobos Reserve near Monterey but need a reservation, as only 15 two-person dive teams are allowed in the reserve's 50-degree waters each day. Bill Becher/Special to the Daily News Box: MONTEREY EXPERIENCES (see text) |
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