List sites that are urchin barrens

[Johnoly]

Im hoping this will be a good resource for everybody.

When I was diving California & spearing, I was asked (and respected) not to spear CA-Sheepshead. Even though it was legal, they said it was one of the only fish to help control the urchin problem. I didn't know the urchins could be harvested, so it's a good thread to let diver's know.

 

[MainSail1865]

Portuguese beach in Sonoma County?
Or is there another Portuguese beach somewhere else?

The town of Mendocino in Mendocino county.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

The town of Mendocino in Mendocino county.

Where exactly?
I know the land bridge on the headland, or sewer pipe as some know it even though the pipe has long been decommissioned (great dive BTW).
And then the beach and cove right below the west end of town, is that Portuguese?

This one?

 

[MainSail1865]

Where exactly?
I know the land bridge on the headland, or sewer pipe as some know it even though the pipe has long been decommissioned (great dive BTW).
And then the beach and cove right below the west end of town, is that Portuguese?
View attachment 739759
This one?

Thats the one. I dont know for certain if that is officially called Portuguese but thats what my dive buddies have always called it. I personally call it "the beach at the end of the road"

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I’ve never dived it but I’m going to now.

 

[MainSail1865]

As are most sites that far north, vis can be hit or miss. So if you dont see **** dont blame me otherwise enjoy

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

As are most sites that far north, vis can be hit or miss. So if you dont see **** dont blame me otherwise enjoy

Don’t worry about me, I’ve been diving up there since 1997. I’ve seen all sorts if conditions.

 

[Bob DBF]

Don’t worry about me, I’ve been diving up there since 1997. I’ve seen all sorts if conditions.

My first dive there was at Van Damme in 1976, I dove the area three or more times a month while living in Mendocino county.

It does have all kinds of conditions, I had to haul myself out a half mile or so down the coast because I misjudged the current and couldn’t avoid it. I could have got out of water sooner but I couldn’t make it up the bluff. Luckily I was free diving so the walk to hwy1 wasn’t bad and hitchhiked back to my truck. Gave the guy an abalone for his trouble. Great times.

 

[elgoog]

Also healthy -
- Sea Mount (really gorgeous right now, tons of life on it)
- Approach from HITW to Sea Mount (lots of young kelp stalks, kinda annoying to scooter through tbh)
- West of Rock Garden deeper than 60ft .i.e. Taco, Marco's Pinnacle (we haven't been there in some time but it looked good earlier this year, based on how the situation has evolved at other locations I don't think it's gotten worse)
- All the deeper sites .i.e. Beto's Reef, Three Sisters, The Road

Unhealthy, tons of urchins -
Granite Point Wall.
- The east/back side is completely covered in purple urchins. I didn't pay attention to the size distribution but my vague memory is that they looked big (??)
- The front side (facing Middle Reef) didn't have many purples but there wasn't much life on the wall itself.
- Caveat here - it was VERY dark at the base of the wall and looked like there was a lot of kelp at the top of the wall. We didn't go up to check the condition of the kelp bases.

 

[elgoog]

Also healthy -
...
- West of Rock Garden deeper than 60ft .i.e. Taco, Marco's Pinnacle (we haven't been there in some time but it looked good earlier this year, based on how the situation has evolved at other locations I don't think it's gotten worse)

Update on the above - went through Rock Garden to Taco and Marco's yesterday.

Tons of kelp with very few urchins for pretty much all of Rock Garden. Marco's was urchin free as well (at least at 50ft and deeper)

Taco was interesting. The north/slightly deeper side is free of urchins and had a ton of life, similar inside the actual "taco" passage as well. Once you get through the passage to the south end, the rocks are totally barren with a lot of medium to large purple urchins. We didn't notice this anywhere else on the west side of the reserve, even when we went shallower.