2023.8.26 – 28 | San Clement Island

This weekend, I embarked on a sailing adventure with Bill, Deb, and Brett to San Clemente Island. Rather than rushing to the island for diving, we spent most of our time sailing, as the island was mostly off-limits due to military activities.

Our journey began on the Saturday morning at around 4 am from San Diego. We encountered strong winds throughout the day. By early evening, we reached the island, but the wind subsided while the swell continued. We had dinner onboard while waiting for the island to reopen, hoping for calmer waters in the sheltered area. At around 11 pm, we anchored in the shelter at Fish Hook, though the swell from the northeast showed little sign of dissipating. Exhausted from a long day, we retired for the night.

The following morning, the swell persisted, and we had to leave due to ongoing military exercises. As we sailed south of Pyramid Point, the wind calmed, but the swell remained. To our amazement, we found ourselves in the midst of a major military drill involving a carrier, a destroyer, several other large ships, and a squadron of high-speed coastguard inflatables. The carrier passed just a few hundred yards from our boat, with helicopters hovering above it. We had a front-row seat to this impressive display.

Around noon, the warships departed, and the island reopened. We motored to the Twin Peaks, where the island shielded us from the swell, creating flat waters with clear blue seas. The sandy bottom with kelp-fringed rocky structures came into view. Twin Peaks is my preferred dive site on the island, and if I had to choose just one spot to dive at San Clemente Island, it would be this.

I descended into the inviting ocean, following the anchor line to the rocky area where the kelp forest thrived. The kelp formed a wall around a large area, resembling an underwater amphitheater. Here, I encountered schools of blacksmith, senorita fish, and half-moon fish. A few bat rays glided gracefully by, and even a harp seal made a brief appearance. It was a delightful dive.

We planned to do a second dive at the same location. During the surface interval, we spotted a sea turtle playing on the surface. The dive started like the first one. Unfortunately, halfway through the dive, a strong current brought in murky water, reducing visibility rapidly, as if the sun were setting underwater. I spent the second half of the dive kicking back to the boat.

After the dive, we made the decision to head back home. The swell persisted, but the winds had subsided. With the engine running, we watched as the silhouette of the island slowly faded into the darkness of the night. The warm air and the bright moon made it a beautiful night for the passage, and as a new morning dawned, we arrived back at the dock.