Squid Egg Shag Carpeting! Redondo Canyon! 1/28/07! Limited Engagement, Don't miss it!

[HBDiveGirl]

Hey Claudette-

When you make the descent at the end of the pier, what's the approximate depth when you hit bottom? I'd like to know when I'm getting near touchdown so that I don't land on any of this stuff (or anyone) if viz is poor tomorrow night.

No worries, Jake...it's all sand, so lawn-darting is harmless.

It's about 20-30fsw at the end of the pier, depending on the tide. If the surface chop is unpleasant, we often descend earlier and fin out on the bottom. Just shine your light downwards, and you'll most likely see the bottom in time to slow down. It really is all sand. Even if you hiroshima, it'll settle quickly.

Have a great time!

Claudette

 

[SoCalAngel]

Ok... I am so bummed I couldn't make it out there this week. I can go out on Sunday night???? Anybody up for Sunday night???? PM me, please???? :blinking:

 

[Jake]

Dive Report: 2007-02-03
Time in: 19:30

After 2 great dives this morning in Corona Del Mar, a group of us decided to try our luck with a squid dive. Good decision. We splashed in tonight around 19:30 or so, and found that the viz was probably 20 feet. It deteriorated a little by the time we got to 85 feet, but even then it was probably 10-15.

In general, just an amazing dive. The eggs really are everywhere, and while the place wasn't lousy with bat rays, we did probably see 12 or so. There were large numbers of crab and shrimp out, and a solitary sea lion graced us with his presence. I have never seen a living squid in person, and we were so fortunate to have seen 3 of them, none of which were the least afraid of us. One of them was either transporting or munching on an egg casing. Soooooooooooooo cool to see these guys. I wish I had been there when more were running.

Surf was small, with sets in the 2 foot range. Surge was non-existent at 85 feet, but was moderately heavy above 20. Temp at 85 feet was 56 degrees.

Claudette,, thank you for your directions for finding the eggs. They were absolutely spot on, although we did find that a swim towards the pier was necessary to really see the full number of egg baskets.

Oh, and we found the rifle! As if the dive wasn't cool enough, to find this thing in the middle of the darkness was awesome. Here's a bad, bad photo of my friends, with Sonja holding the rifle (love the deer-in-the-headlights look):

If we ever get a February dive thread, I'll post this in there too.

 

[Leejnd]

We saw the rifle today again too. It certainly does look...well...bizarre down there, doesn't it? We went out to the egg carpet at about, oh, noonish or so. No rays...but the carpet is cool looking during the day.

 

[orangelion03]

Several divers posting here have found the BB gun in Redondo and have put it back where they found it. What is the "right thing to do" here? Not judging, just asking

My initial thought was it was "trash", didnt belong there, take it out and dispose of it (I'm always picking up trash when I see it unless it is clear it's been don there a while and could be home to a critter). Then it occured to me that it was possibly a safety thing...Claudette and Ken first found it, but they were facing a possibly dodgy exit with all that camera gear and why burden themselves with an extraneous piece of metal. Is it an "item of interest" that should be left there for others to enjoy?

Cheers!

 

[Robert Phillips]

Several divers posting here have found the BB gun in Redondo and have put it back where they found it. What is the "right thing to do" here? Not judging, just asking

My initial thought was it was "trash", didnt belong there, take it out and dispose of it (I'm always picking up trash when I see it unless it is clear it's been don there a while and could be home to a critter). Then it occured to me that it was possibly a safety thing...Claudette and Ken first found it, but they were facing a possibly dodgy exit with all that camera gear and why burden themselves with an extraneous piece of metal. Is it an "item of interest" that should be left there for others to enjoy?

Cheers!

Bottles, cans, plastic bags, cigarette butts... all trash. Statues, bricks, cars, buses, aeroplanes, boats, BB guns... reef structure!

 

[Leejnd]

Well, my feeling about it is that right now it's kind of an item of interest -- it lets folks know that they found the famous shag-a-licious squid carpet, and people are getting a charge out of photographing each other holding it. It's not causing any harm right now -- if anything, it might be helping some folks confirm that they navigated to the right spot. Once the squid carpet tableau is over, perhaps it would be best to bring it up and toss it, since with all the activity it's getting I don't see how any life can attach itself to it...

Just my personal opinion!

 

[Mo2vation]

If there is stuff growing on it, its reef structure. This is the protocol I (and many of us) go by.

There is nothing growing on the rifle. Its not reef structure.

Its comic relief. Its fun. Its silly. Its a common thread for all of us going down to see this stuff, and its probably the cleanest piece of trash at vets.

I say find it, shoot a pic, then jab it back into the ground for the next guy.

---
Ken

 

[HBDiveGirl]

...is another fish's home!

Bottles, cans,...... all trash.

...but Trashesh with a Purpose: Habitat!!

I remove bottles and cans from all other dive sites EXCEPT Redondo Canyon.

Because almost every container at Vets has someone who calls it "HomeSweetHome". Two of the most interesting creatures at Vets are the Sarcastic Fringeheads and the octopuses (both red and spotted). They LOVE to live in bottles and cans... and

• shoes,
• lost dive fins,
• lawn chairs,
• socks,
• boots,
• plastic cups,
• buckets
• barrels.....

Anything with an internal space or lumen almost immediately becomes a home for octo's and fringeheads. It adds rugosity, structure and spatial diversity to what is otherwise a whole lotta mud. At Vet's, it's raining Homes!!

So, I don't pick up or remove containers from Vets. I'd have to evict the tenant first :11:
I do remove plastic bags, (and all the toys that a certain inspired dive buddy finds almost every dive. )

The BB gun? Exactly what Mo2vation said!! Enjoy!... then stake it back into the sand. We'll clean it up after the squid party ends. Just don't shoot anyone's eye out :no .

Comparison note: The Pt. Dume submarine canyon has contours and depths similar to the canyon at Veteran's Park.... and almost no trash!!! Without the nearby marina and heavy boating traffic and adjacent pier, there's just no trash at Pt. Dume.

And.... there is very little life compared to Vets. Sarcastic Fringeheads are rare in comparison, as are octopuses. It's a lovely, serene, pretty canyon.... But the party is at Vets!!

Claudette

 

[TSandM]

NW Grateful Diver and Cove 2 taught me that . . . Every beer bottle has its gunnel.