Sombrero East
One of our favourite sites at the Catalinas especially for a second dive due to its easy access for all divers and ability to stay shallow if needed, a great site for all levels of divers. Named for its appearance at the surface as 2 hats or sombreros thi is another site that you can see a bit of everything.
Dropping in where the sombreros meet gives protection from any southerly currents, this dive lets you go with any swell that might be present. You can stay between 30-45ft heading to the north which is a great area for looking for harlequin shrimp, nudibranchs and seahorses, often with a large number of sea stars around, but mantas, eagle rays and devil rays have also been spotted here. Get your head in close to the rocks and loom for the hidden gobies and blennies. Towards the north point there is a deep trench which you can swim through where white tips or schools of grunts often hang out. The outside of the main rock allows you to drop to 70ft and heading back away from the rock towards the coast there is another small crag of rocks that are a great position for a safety stop.
Time of year and weather conditions can find the water temperatures to range between 65-80 degrees F (18-27C).
Marine life that are commonly seen at these sites include seahorses, nudibranchs, eels, harlequin shrimp, scorpion fish, octopus, round rays, eagle rays, schools of grunts, lobsters and maybe a white tip shark.
