I couldn't find a name for this place on a map or chart, but it's the Western point of Gonzales Bay and the Eastern point of Ross Bay. I also have a nearby dive listed: "Ross Bay Eastern Point", but this place is farther along the shore towards Gonzales Bay. It's basically right in the middle between the two bays. I never noticed that there was public access to this shore, but recently I saw a short trail (it looks like somebody's driveway) between two houses (1807 and 1811) on Hollywood Crescent. The "driveway" ends in a short set of steps leading down to the rocky shore. The chart shows a relatively steep drop to 20 or 30 feet. I came back the next day for a dive (June 4, 2009). I wasn't expecting much, but it was one of those hot, calm, sunny days that make you want to get in the water. The shallows were covered with surf grass and feather boa kelp. In the intertidal zone, there was the usual rockweed and clusters of small anemones. Below about 15 feet deep there was a forest of bull kelp. The bottom underneath was covered with large blades of bottom kelp and other kelp/algae that I don't know the names of. Tiny nudibranchs (mostly alabaster) were scattered all over the kelp. Visibility by the way, was about 15 feet. I followed the slope deeper, hoping to find some exposed rock, but everything was completely covered with layers of kelp. I could see the occasional orange burrowing cucumber, fish-eating anemone and crab partially sticking out from under the layers. The most common animal was the California cucumber. I don't think I've ever seen as many as I have here. Most of them were in the phallic-looking spawning position. The slope ended at about 25 feet deep and even here, the kelp covered everything. I had to swim out for a minute or so before I saw a bare patch of sand. My maximum depth was about 35 feet. I went back to the kelp-covered slope where I saw a few black rockfish, a large copper rockfish, a small lingcod and a kelp greenling. Most of them darted under the kelp as soon as I saw them. I went back up to the surf grass-covered shallows where at least I could get an occasional glance of something growing on the rock. I saw the usual branching coralline algae and various small patches of sponge. Back on the surface, I could hear the roar of hundreds of drunken teenagers from Gonzales Beach. I must be getting old. I'm not going to say I won't bother coming back here, but if I do it will be in the winter when the blanket of kelp is gone.
