Instant Reader Report
on Catalina Island Diver's Supply / [same] in
USA (Continental) / Catalina Island, California on
2002/08
by
LeRoy Anderson , Utah, USA
Report Number 020821124415750

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 Palau, Yap, Papua New Guinea, Cozumel, British Columbia, Little Cayman. 

Dive Conditions

None  

[None]  

Overall Rating

This was a dive trip to a very well known location, Catalina Island. I just
returned from Milne Bay in Papua New Guinea, so I expected to experience
the dives around Catalina Island to be alot less fun, being jaded from
just visiting a location with mind bending diving. However, I found the
diving suprisingly very enjoyable, in fact, I think I had just as much fun
in Catalina as I did in PNG, maybe because my expectations were lower. The
divemaster, Ron, was probably the best and most helpful, as well as the
most competent divemaster I've yet seen. The water was calm and bright, we
visited a variety of divesites, including Ripper's Cove, the Quarry,
Italian Gardens, Little Italian Gardens, and the Avalon Underwater Park.
Swimming through healthy and thick kelp forests among schools of fish with
sunlight filtering through the kelp was truly relaxing and scenic. Critters
seen included schools of surface smelt, schools of medium sized fish  of
several varieties, an approximately 2 meter giant sea bass, sea hare
nudibranchs about two feet long, spiny lobsters, moray eels, sculpins,
spotted scorpionfish, ubiquitous juvenile and adult garibaldis, as well as
a tiny spetacular flouescent red and purple goby which was found seemingly
everywhere and which I had not noticed in previous dives in California.
The underwater gardens, apart from the kelp seemed healthy and abundant.
My overall feeling about the diving is that this area is probably
underrated, inasmuch as it is local and easily reached. A great place, and
a great operation.  

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