San Clemente Island

California San Clemente Island Underwater Photography

San Clemente Island Underwater: a Symphony of Sea Fans, or, Gonzo for Gorgonians

San Clemente Island is one of my favorite places to dive. Maybe my favorite. I have almost certainly logged more time on a scuba tank here than anywhere else, hundreds of hours. And almost all of those dives have been made jumping off the deck of the M/V Horizon and…

Phil CollaOctober 22, 2022

Catalina San Clemente Island Underwater Photography

Kelp Forest Redux – San Clemente and Catalina Islands, and My Circular Fisheye

"Redux" is a bit of an overstatement, since Southern California's giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera), which has not looked good in recent years, is certainly not recovered. Spotty, stands of kelp here and there, but much of the vast, magnificent underwater forests at San Clemente Island and Catalina have been in…

Phil CollaJanuary 8, 2022

California San Clemente Island Underwater Photography

San Clemente Island’s Kelp Forests

This is the second in my "Southern California Bight Sampler (Post-Covid?)" series: Coronado Islands Refresher San Clemente Island's Kelp Forests Catalina Island's West End Farnsworth Banks San Diego Wrecks Coronado Islands - Sea Lions in Fall JTNDaHIlMjAlMkYlM0U=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San Clemente Island, and in particular the southern end of the island, is where…

Phil CollaJune 1, 2021

Aerial Photography California San Clemente Island

The Disappearing Kelp Forests of San Clemente Island

I was recently diving at San Clemente Island. The profound lack of giant kelp forests was a striking contrast to what I am used to seeing over 25 years of diving at the island. Under ideal conditions, giant kelp can grow about 2' per day (the fastest growing plant on…

Phil CollaMay 30, 2015

California Underwater Photography

Asferico Photo Competition Segnalato Il Mondo Subacqueo!

I love Italy. And I love photography. What could be better than an Italian Photography competition? Molto Bene! The Asferico photography competition, sponsored by Asferico Magazine in Italy, is an annual display of incredible images by many of the finest photographers in Europe. I have long admired the annual Asferico…

Phil CollaAugust 14, 2012

California San Clemente Island Underwater Life Underwater Photography

Giant Kelpfish, Master of Camouflage

One of my favorite California fishes is the giant kelpfish (Heterostichus rostratus). Giant kelpfish are camouflage masters, blending into the brown and green kelp blades perfectly. Many times I have found myself hovering over a clump of kelp for a few minutes, not aware of a giant kelpfish only a…

Phil CollaApril 14, 2011

Aerial Photography California San Clemente Island

San Clemente Island Aerial Photograph

Aerial photograph of San Clemente Island, California San Clemente Island Pyramid Head, the distinctive pyramid shaped southern end of the island. San Clemente Island Pyramid Head, showing geologic terracing, underwater reefs and giant kelp forests Image ID: 26003 Location: San Clemente Island, California, USA San Clemente Island is where I…

Phil CollaSeptember 30, 2010

California San Clemente Island Underwater Life Underwater Photography

Sea Fans and Gorgonians at San Clemente Island

Photos of gorgonians and sea fans at San Clemente Island. I spent three days diving at one of my favorite spots on Earth: San Clemente Island. The island, about 60 miles offshore of southern California, is home to some of the world's most beautiful kelp forests. Swimming through these kelp…

Phil CollaJune 2, 2010

California Catalina Marine Life Underwater Photography

California Golden Gorgonian, Muricea californica

The California golden gorgonian (Muricea californica) is a common gorgonian species in southern California. It is typically found growing on rocky reefs from 40' to 200' deep. The California golden gorgonian is a colonial organism composed of thousands of individual polyps, each of which secretes calcium to form the structure…

Phil CollaNovember 28, 2009