Avalon, California, United States
Sea Fan Grotto sits on the back side (windward) of Santa Catalina Island near Eagle Reef, boat-access only from Avalon or San Pedro. The site is a series of granite ledges and shallow caves at 9 to 21 metres festooned with red and purple Pacific gorgonians (sea fans) growing in the cooler shaded water beneath the overhangs. The orange-pink California hydrocoral can be found at deeper recesses. The site sits inside California Marine Conservation Areas that limit fishing and the fish life reflects it. Resident species include garibaldi, sheephead, kelp bass, large cabezon, lingcod, blue and olive rockfish, octopus tucked into the cracks and the occasional giant black sea bass that uses the cooler shadows of the overhangs. California sea lions sometimes follow boats in. Visibility is reliably 12 to 25 metres on calm days. The back side of Catalina is weather-dependent; west swells close it for stretches in winter.
Information on this page, including technical data such as depth, current, visibility, access, and recommended level, is informational and may vary. Confirm actual conditions with a local operator before the dive.
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