Tag Archives: abalone diving

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Yesterday we jumped into summer and the warm weather continues today. Of course there are pockets of fog in the usual places - hello, Point Arena! - but the fog will hopefully burn off for everyone.

There were a lot of happy faces as sun shone and David Wayne Floyd photographed the beach action at Anchor Bay Beach yesterday.

This morning with the favorable low tides, abalone divers were hitting the water. A crab boat is working the water south of Fish Rocks this afternoon. Today there is no wind!

Commercial fishermen are awaiting the opening of the Salmon season, which is May 1st south of Point Arena, I believe. Life on the Mendonoma Coast is like a dream, a dream from which you don't want to wake up.

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John Batchelder was watching a pod of Gray Whales migrating northward recently. He saw tails and backs and  a lot of spouts. He also saw several breaches. And he got a photograph of one spyhopping and has kindly allowed me to share his great photo with you here.

We've had a lot of wind lately that has made spotting whales very difficult. Hopefully conditions will get better. That would also be good news for abalone divers. There are minus tides early in the morning this Easter weekend, which is what divers look for. I'm keeping my fingers crossed - for good luck - for those of you who hunt for red treasure!

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Black Point Beach is located in The Sea Ranch in Sonoma County. It is a lovely stretch of beach with big curling waves when the surf is up. It has dangerous undertows and no lifeguard. I can't think of a beach on the Mendonoma coast that has a lifeguard! Two excellent surfers were out last Thursday. Rick and I, with Huckleberry our golden retriever, enjoyed watching them.

To see another perspective of this beach, here's a link to another post: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/05/08/black-point-beach-is-one-of-the-many-treasures-of-the-sea-ranch/

And then we saw something we have never seen before - the underwater portion of a rock. Visibility here on the north coast is usually not very good, making it a challenge for abalone divers and other underwater fishermen and women. But Thursday the visibility was like a dream come true. Oh, my abalone diving friends bemoaned the fact that the season is closed for the winter but one diver friend found a 7.5 pound Rock Scallop. I will share that photo soon.

My best to you today! Jeanne Jackson, Gualala

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Siegfried Matull captured a photo of two Harbor Seals that surfaced under a mat of kelp. The photo looks as if they had been crowned by the kelp. Many thanks to Siegfried for allowing me to share his photo.

And here is a description of what it's like to dive in kelp, from diver Jack Likins:

"When I dive under the kelp it is like being under a very thick redwood forest canopy. The sunlight filters through the matted kelp on the surface and down the stalks with schools of small fish glistening as they swim through the sunbeams.”