DIVE DRY WITH DR. BILL #860: RING THE BELL
Many divers who visit the dive park are not aware of some of its history. They did not have the experience of partying on Lynn Stoke's glassbottom boat Pisces back in the early 1970s (or, sadly, watching it hit the Casino breakwater and sink). Some may have noticed the safe that was intentionally sunk in the park years ago although it is hardly recognizable as such today.
How many are aware that the circular concrete platforms topside were the mounts of the 50 caliber anti-aircraft guns during World War II? Yes, that was before my time too although I was a glimmer in Mom and Dad's eyes! Then there are the strange metal pilings located to the left off the stairs. What's with that? Hold on... I'll tell ya!
Those pilings are the remains of the old Catalina diving bell pier and support structure. Since it had been removed from Casino Point a few years before I arrived here, I had no personal experience with this attraction. Therefore I had to search out a much older (by three weeks) island resident who actually was here way back then. Yes, I'm talking about our local historian, Chuck Liddell (aka Catalina's Google).
Chuck told me that the diving bell was the brainchild of Jack Wyvell. It was a major feature along the Casino breakwater from 1953 to 1962. It is interesting to note that the dive park itself came into being the year the diving bell ceased operations here. Perhaps it is just coincidence as the owner had another diving bell in Florida that was destroyed in a storm. Our diving bell may have been moved there to replace it.
Chuck tells me that 10 to 12 passengers could enter the diving bell for a ride. There were viewing ports all along its circumference. The bell would be lowered down to a depth of about 25 feet. The same fish we see today as divers could be viewed by those in the bell without need for cold water or wetsuits! Well, actually probably their great-great grandchildren. To end the ride, the bell would pop up to the surface like a cork and the screams of those within would be heard via a loudspeaker on the exterior.
The diving bell would also operate at night. It had lights positioned all around the top. Chuck tells me that leopard sharks were often seen on these nocturnal submersions. In my experience seeing a leopard shark today in the dive park is a fairly rare occurence. I only remember two occasions, on subsequent weekends, when leopard sharks swam past my left shoulder and on toward the steps. Due to the SARS-Cov-2 restrictions, soupfin sharks are now cruising the park's waters!
So that, my landlubber and diver friends, is a brief history of the metal pilings one sees to the left of the stairs, and of their origin as support structures for the Catalina diving bell. They lie horizontally in shallow water and are often noted by divers, most of whom are unaware of their prior purpose (but are now!). Although I focus on the critters when I dive, it is always interesting to learn a little of the history of any site I dive.
© 2020 Dr. Bill Bushing. For the entire archived set of over 775 "Dive Dry" columns, visit my website Star Thrower Educational Multimedia (S.T.E.M.) Home Page
Image caption: The diving bell located at Casino Point (pictures largely through the courtesy of Dan Austin's website austincatalina.com/) and two recent images of the heavily encrusted pilings today.
Many divers who visit the dive park are not aware of some of its history. They did not have the experience of partying on Lynn Stoke's glassbottom boat Pisces back in the early 1970s (or, sadly, watching it hit the Casino breakwater and sink). Some may have noticed the safe that was intentionally sunk in the park years ago although it is hardly recognizable as such today.
How many are aware that the circular concrete platforms topside were the mounts of the 50 caliber anti-aircraft guns during World War II? Yes, that was before my time too although I was a glimmer in Mom and Dad's eyes! Then there are the strange metal pilings located to the left off the stairs. What's with that? Hold on... I'll tell ya!
Those pilings are the remains of the old Catalina diving bell pier and support structure. Since it had been removed from Casino Point a few years before I arrived here, I had no personal experience with this attraction. Therefore I had to search out a much older (by three weeks) island resident who actually was here way back then. Yes, I'm talking about our local historian, Chuck Liddell (aka Catalina's Google).
Chuck told me that the diving bell was the brainchild of Jack Wyvell. It was a major feature along the Casino breakwater from 1953 to 1962. It is interesting to note that the dive park itself came into being the year the diving bell ceased operations here. Perhaps it is just coincidence as the owner had another diving bell in Florida that was destroyed in a storm. Our diving bell may have been moved there to replace it.
Chuck tells me that 10 to 12 passengers could enter the diving bell for a ride. There were viewing ports all along its circumference. The bell would be lowered down to a depth of about 25 feet. The same fish we see today as divers could be viewed by those in the bell without need for cold water or wetsuits! Well, actually probably their great-great grandchildren. To end the ride, the bell would pop up to the surface like a cork and the screams of those within would be heard via a loudspeaker on the exterior.
The diving bell would also operate at night. It had lights positioned all around the top. Chuck tells me that leopard sharks were often seen on these nocturnal submersions. In my experience seeing a leopard shark today in the dive park is a fairly rare occurence. I only remember two occasions, on subsequent weekends, when leopard sharks swam past my left shoulder and on toward the steps. Due to the SARS-Cov-2 restrictions, soupfin sharks are now cruising the park's waters!
So that, my landlubber and diver friends, is a brief history of the metal pilings one sees to the left of the stairs, and of their origin as support structures for the Catalina diving bell. They lie horizontally in shallow water and are often noted by divers, most of whom are unaware of their prior purpose (but are now!). Although I focus on the critters when I dive, it is always interesting to learn a little of the history of any site I dive.
© 2020 Dr. Bill Bushing. For the entire archived set of over 775 "Dive Dry" columns, visit my website Star Thrower Educational Multimedia (S.T.E.M.) Home Page
Image caption: The diving bell located at Casino Point (pictures largely through the courtesy of Dan Austin's website austincatalina.com/) and two recent images of the heavily encrusted pilings today.
