News
Diving a working oil rig in Southern California (Watch Video)
Ever since Alex Mustard was a finalist in the Bird category of Wildlife Photographer of the year with a shot of a cormorant diving under an oil rig we have wanted to follow in his fin-steps and take a look at this unusual dive ourselves. So, when we decided to stay on in Southern California after our trip to photograph Great White Sharks off Guadalupe Island with Nautilus Liveaboards, this dive was at the very top of our list to organise.
We got in touch with Captain Kyaa from Sundiver International based in Long Beach to see if there might be an opportunity to dive one of the oil rigs and also the more famous dive destination of Catalina Island. Soon we had an exciting diving itinerary set up. We departed La Jolla and made the short drive north to Long Beach and checked into Hotel Maya, where we had a room with an outstanding view of the harbour and the Queen Mary.
Sundiver International have three boats and for our trip to dive the oil rig we were on the smallest of these with a small group of just six divers. There are three oil rigs that are close to shore and readily diveable in the right conditions. Permission must be sought in advance and the sea needs to be calm for boats to be able to approach the oil rig structure. We were going to dive the oil rig called Ellen and we had the perfect conditions to dive it!
As we did the short swim to the structure we could hear the noises of the workmen and machinery above us. It is an unusual dive to be allowed to dive a working oil rig and these structures do not exactly spring to mind when you try to think of places that would be home to an abundance of marine life, but as we dipped our heads under the surface we were amazed. Each leg of the structure was covered in life. Anemones and brittle stars covered the metal frame. Mussels formed huge clumps near the surface. Then something else caught out eyes…
A young Californian Sea Lion had decided to come and check us out. It darted past at incredible speed, not getting too close at first. Then as it grew braver, it twisted and turned in front of us, using the oil rig as its playground and showing off its amazing swimming skills. We were enchanted and spent the rest of the dive in the shallows trying to get a shot and some video footage of this special moment.
All too soon it was time to head off, but at least we had Catalina Island to look forward to!
- For more information about Sundiver International visit their website by clicking here.
- For more information about Long Beach visit the Official travel website by clicking here.
- To visit the Hotel Maya website click here.
All images and text by Frogfish Photography
Equipment used:
- Olympus OMD EM-1 MKII; Nauticam housing; INON Z240 strobes
- Paralenz Dive Camera
Gear News
Scubapro Free Octopus Promotion 2024
Free Octopus with every purchase of a SCUBAPRO regulator system
Just in time for the spring season, divers can save money with the FREE OCTOPUS SPRING PROMOTION! Until July 31st SCUBAPRO offers an Octopus for free
with every purchase of a regulator system!
Get a free S270 OCTOPUS with purchase of these combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with A700
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with S620Ti
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with D420
MK25 EVO Din mit S620Ti-X
Get a free R105 OCTOPUS with purchase of the following combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with G260
MK25 EVO or MK17 EVO with S600
SCUBAPRO offers a 30-year first owner warranty on all regulators, with a revision period of two years or 100 dives. All SCUBAPRO regulators are of course certified according to the new European test standard EN250-2014.
Available at participating SCUBAPRO dealers. Promotion may not be available in all regions. Find an authorized SCUBAPRO Dealer at scubapro.com.
More information available on www.scubapro.com.
Blogs
Northern Red Sea Reefs and Wrecks Trip Report, Part 3: The Mighty Thistlegorm
Jake Davies boards Ghazala Explorer for an unforgettable Red Sea diving experience…
Overnight, the wind picked up, making the planned morning dive a bit bumpy on the Zodiacs to the drop point on Thomas Reef. There, we would dive along the reef before descending through the canyon and then passing under the arch before ascending the wall with a gentle drift. The site provided great encounters with more pelagic species, including shoals of large barracuda, tuna, and bigeye trevally.
Once back on the boat, it was time to get everything tied down again as we would head back south. This time, with the wind behind us, heading to Ras Mohammed to dive Jackfish Alley for another great gentle drift wall dive before then heading up the coast towards the Gulf of Suez to moor up at the wreck of the Thistlegorm. This being the highlight wreck dive of the trip and for many onboard, including myself, it was the first time diving this iconic wreck. I had heard so much about the wreck from friends, and globally, this is a must on any diver’s list. Fortunately for us, there was only one other boat at the site, which was a rarity. A great briefing was delivered by Ahmed, who provided a detailed background about the wreck’s history along with all the required safety information as the currents and visibility at the site can be variable.
Kitting up, there was a lot of excitement on deck before entering the water and heading down the shoreline. Descending to the wreck, there was a light northerly current which reduced the visibility, making it feel more like the conditions that can be found off the Welsh coast. At 10m from the bottom, the outline of the wreck appeared as we reached the area of the wreck which had been bombed, as our mooring line was attached to part of the propeller shaft. Arriving on deck, instantly everywhere you looked there were many of the supplies which the ship was carrying, including Bren Carrier tanks and projectiles that instantly stood out.
We headed around the exterior, taking a look at the large propeller and guns mounted on deck before entering the wreck on the port side to take a look in the holds. It was incredible to see all the trucks, Norton 16H, and BSA motorcycles still perfectly stacked within, providing a real snapshot in time.
Overall, we had four dives on the Thistlegorm, where for all of the dives we were the only group in the water, and at times, there were just three of us on the whole wreck, which made it even more special, especially knowing that most days the wreck has hundreds of divers. Along with the history of the wreck, there was plenty of marine life on the wreck and around, from big green turtles to batfish, along with shoals of mackerel being hunted by trevally. Some unforgettable dives.
The final leg of the trip saw us cross back over the Suez Canal to the Gobal Islands where we planned to stay the night and do three dives at the Dolphin House for the potential of sharing the dive with dolphins. The site, which included a channel that was teeming with reef fish, especially large numbers of goatfish that swam in large shoals along the edge of the reef. These were nice relaxing dives to end the week. Unfortunately, the dolphins didn’t show up, which was okay as like all marine life they are difficult to predict and you can’t guarantee what’s going to be seen. With the last dive complete, we headed back to port for the final night where it was time to clean all the kit and pack before the departure flight the next day.
The whole week from start to finish on Ghazala Explorer was amazing; the boat had all the facilities you need for a comfortable week aboard. The crew were always there to help throughout the day and the chefs providing top quality food which was required after every dive. The itinerary providing some of the best diving with a nice mixture of wreck and reef dives. I would recommend the trip to anyone, whether it’s your first Red Sea liveaboard in the Red Sea or you’re revisiting. Hopefully, it’s not too long before I head back to explore more of the Red Sea onboard Ghazala Explorer.
To find out more about the Northern Red Sea reef and wrecks itineraries aboard Ghazala Explorer, or to book, contact Scuba Travel now:
Email: dive@scubatravel.com
Tel: +44 (0)1483 411590
Photos: Jake Davies / Avalon.Red
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