Farnsworth Dive Report

[SoCalRich]

Last Saturday, Two dives at Farnsworth & 1 on the front side:

Back side of Catalina was flat and calm With a bit of current at depth.
Purple Hydro coral was awesome as usual. And next to it, was a grand wall of something golden brown?
Divers reported seeing octopus, eels, a large ray, Someone had great video of a giant black Sea Bass, lots of nudis, plus some of the biggest lobsters I've seen at the island. I even saw a sea bird swimming under water. And a Bald Eagle hunting above the island. Great Trip.
Good Divin, Be Safe
SoCalRich

 

[Esprise Me]

The yellow wall! Farnsworth's Yellow Wall - California Diving News

 

[Sam Miller III]

@SoCalRich

As always a great report

The Yellow Wall has grown there "forever?" or at least as long as I have dove there.....
( and I was one of the first to div Farnsworth Banks)

Suggest reading the following old thread
"Farnsworth on 4th November 2012 - it was nearly perfect"
A lot of forgotten people and Farnsworth banks diving history

Cheers
Sam

 

[drbill]

The yellow wall is composed of the zoanthid Epizoanthus giveni named after Dr. Bob Given of the USC-Wrigley Marine Science Center

 

[Sam Miller III]

Bob Given !
That is a name from the past ! I was unaware he had an intertest Farnsworth or the growth was named in his honor
It has been years since I last had contact -- I heard a rumor that he has passed away
#@drbill is that true ?

SDM

 

[drbill]

Yes, Sam. Bob passed due to cancer a few years back. He was an inspiration to me as a newly minted marine biologist arriving on Catalina back in 1969. Later, while he was landlocked with the cancer, I used to sit and talk with Bob. He so wished he could get back in the water. I said I'd be proud to be his dive buddy if he wanted to, but he said he wasn't able due to the cancer. Very sad.

Here is one of my columns dedicated to him and Epizoanthus giveni: Star Thrower Educational Multimedia (S.T.E.M.) Dive Dry Column

 

[Sam Miller III]

@drbill
What a great tribute to a great man !
Thank you so much for writing it and at this late date sharing it

I knew Bob casually and can recall so vividly our last meeting
I was on Len Greenstone's boat the "3 Queens" and Bob stopped for a chat
always smiling, always happy, always eager to help
That was Bob Givens

 

[Ken Kurtis]

The yellow wall! Farnsworth's Yellow Wall - California Diving News

What a great article!! Brilliant!!!

 

[Sam Miller III]

Ken?
Ken Kurtis ?

I some how recall Ken Kurtis......
Handsome devil- often mistaken for Brad Pitt
Walks - struts like John Wayne
Leads adventures like Ernest Hemmingway
Dove in more places that J Y Cousteau
Lectures like Sir Richard Attenborough
Publishes more dive articles that Amazon can print

Yes, I some how recall Ken Kurtis

Lets keep him around for a while

<<< Great article Ken ! >>>


Sam Miller
NAUI Instructor # A - 27 ( only 2 As remaining -)

 

[drbill]

Except they are Epizoanthus giveni, not Epizoanthus scotinus