2022. 12. 2 – 5 | San Clemente Island

Last weekend, I joined Bill and Eric for another trip to San Clemente Island. This trip almost did not happen due to an engine leakage. But with some hard work, the leakage was found, and the parts were repaired.

We left the dock on Friday night. Right after we turned around Point Loma, we were greeted by strong wind and large swells. Bill and Eric raised the sail, and we turned off the engine once we were on course. The first nights on my previous trips were always peaceful, but not this time. I took the first shift of the night watch and nervously steered the wheel toward the island. Luckily, the gusty wind kept steady for hours, and the swell did not grow taller. I got more and more relaxed and finished my watch without any issues. After 4 hours of steering, I was tired and fell asleep as soon as I climbed into my sleeping bag. When I woke up in the morning, the island was in front of the boat, and we were motoring. I learned that the wind lasted the whole night. We only needed to motor the boat to the dive sites for the last few miles.

We had to rush because the island would be closed at 1 pm, and we had to leave by then. The first dive was deep. I visited the beautiful gorgonians on the walls and the ocean bottom. While ascending to the boat, I stopped at the top of the reef and enjoyed a dense school of blacksmith in the kelp. We went to a shallower reef for the second dive. I had to observe my time not to go over time. Although it was a shorter dive, I came across many schools of fish in the kelp forestry, a beautifully fried egg jellyfish, and a few swim-throughs full of fish.

We had to stay away from the island for the entire afternoon and early evening. The wind was not enough for us to raise the sail, and we leisurely motored the boat in random directions. Surprisingly, we were the only boat in the entire region. While we were relaxing, Bill and Eric hoisted me to the middle of the mast to change a light bulb but found that the problem was not the light bulb. Although the mission was unsuccessful, the experience was fun for me. As the sun lowered, the wind died out, and the ocean turned into a lake. The sunset was beautiful, but we realized the twilight was more magic and the view was breathtaking. As the sky darkened, it merged with the dark water, and the two became one. Suddenly, we found ourselves in a painting, and the feeling was magic. We enjoyed the moment and did not start the boat before it turned completely dark.

We anchored the boat at a dive site called Little Flower. In the morning, the sky was grey with some drizzles. The island was open, and we no longer needed to rush our dives. At all dive sites, I stayed primarily shallow. The visibility dropped significantly than the previous trip a month ago. But among all my trips to San Clemente, I had never seen so many fishes playing in the kelp forestry. Besides schools of fish, I came across a green turtle, a surprise encounter in the dense kelp forestry. I also met a torpedo ray in the kelp for the first time. The torpedo ray was mellow, mostly hovering above the reef and drifting slowly. I enjoyed observing the magnificent critter very much.

When we finished three dives, the sun was already low. Bill and Eric found an excellent anchor in the last dive. We holstered both anchors onboard and headed east toward home. On our way back, the sea was flat, and the moon was brighter. The San Diego light was on the horizon, and we saw the dark shadows of Coronado Island in a different direction. In between, the dolphin never stopped following us. We arrived at the home dock at about 3 am. We were all happy to accomplish another fantastic adventure diving into the island.

The water was not the clearest compared to my previous trips, but I had the most fun. I saw the fish and other critters enjoying the kelp everywhere I went. Their lives depend so critically on healthy and thriving kelp forestry. While cruising along the reef and exploring kelp forestry, I also noticed the growth of sargassum. In some areas, it grows into large patches. In some dive sites, the kelp looked weak, and I hope it’s only the season that was at play. How long can the magnificent kelp forestry and its beauty last? I am uncertain. While I enjoyed my dive very much, I was also worried.