Trip Report: Anacapa Island

Rarely do I pass up an opportunity to go diving at the Channel Islands, and last Friday was no exception. This time it was an invite from my buddy Mike Bartick to head to Anacapa Island to dive the Pelican Reserve. A quick internet search turns up some interesting information. According to the National Park Service, the California brown pelican was classified as federally endangered in 1970, and as endangered by the state of California in 1971. The only breeding colonies of California brown pelicans in the western United States are within Channel Islands National Park on West Anacapa and Santa Barbara Islands. So, in order to help protect the ailing pelican population, the site known as Pelican Reserve is only open to divers two months of the year: November 1 through December 31. Sweet! Let's do this. . . .

Brittle stars cover the reef at Pelican Reserve for as far as the eye can see.

Pelican Reserve

Mike and I hopped off the Spectre and immediately headed to deeper waters, in search of torpedo rays. During our descent, I couldn't help by notice that the entire reef was completely covered in brittle stars. The reef is slowly being decimated by these colorful invaders. The reef finally "cleared up" at about 20fsw, where I found the occasional gorgonian.

A female sheephead cruises by in the barren shallows.

Goldfish Reef

Our next dive took us to Goldfish Reef toward the west end of the island. The sun came out, which is typically when I shoot wide-angle, but Mike mentioned the possibility of finding pike blennies, which I have never seen. 
Macro it is. . . . 

I'm so stoked that I switched! Our search for pike blennies was a bust, but we did witness dozens of Navanax inermis mating.  Eggs were everywhere, and I had never seen so many Navanax at one site before.

A pair of mating Navanax inermis at Goldfish Reef. Enter Al Green song here ___.  

After a brief encounter with a Giant Sea Bass, and with just five minutes of bottom time to spare, I spotted a rare Babakina festiva nudibranch. Wait . . . not one, but three!  These tiny, colorful nudibranchs are about the size of a grain of risotto.  How cool!

A tiny Babakina festiva nudibranch at Goldfish Reef.  We saw three of these, each just over a 1cm in length.

West End

Our third and final dive of the day came at West End. The current was mild as was descended into the colorful shallows, full of bright green eel grass and huge schools of opaleye.  

Looking east from the west end of Anacapa Island.  The currents can get intense here as the reef descends into the channel.

I found a short wall full of colorful urchins and anemones, just out of reach of the direct sun. As I wrapped up a series of frames, I noticed a substantial shift in the intensity of the current. Time to end the dive. Special thanks to Mike Bartick, and the crew of the Spectre!

Colorful urchins and anemones adorn this short wall at West End.