Farnsworth Bank
Depth is the range from the top of the site to its usual maximum; "recommended cert" is the mainstream-agency level operators usually ask for, not a legal rule. Currents and visibility change daily, so treat everything here as planning ranges.
Farnsworth Bank rises from deep water off Catalina's rugged backside, its pinnacle tops paved with California's most celebrated marine growth: purple hydrocoral, a slow-growing species so distinctive the site received early protective designation on its account. The color reads even in the blue-green light at 25 m - branching violet thickets patrolled by sheephead, blacksmith clouds, and torpedo rays over the surrounding sand. Being an offshore high spot, the bank collects wanderers: sea lions commuting from the island, yellowtail, mola mola rising to be cleaned in the warm months. Swell and current guard it; boats cancel often, which keeps the hydrocoral unbroken and the dive a privilege.
The moment you come for: Purple hydrocoral gardens, open-water pelagic chances, Catalina's wild weather side
Topography: Volcanic pinnacles rising from deep water, crowned with purple hydrocoral
Current: An open-water bank off Catalina's weather side; trips run only in cooperative seas.
Know before you splash
Hazards: Exposure, surge at depth, current over the pinnacles; cold thermoclines.
Conservation: The hydrocoral is protected and brittle - buoyancy discipline is the entry fee; anchoring practices are restricted.
Nitrox: Worth it here: profiles sit in the range where enriched air meaningfully extends no-stop time (with the training to use it).
Who you'll meet
Nudibranchs
California Sea Lion
Mola Mola (Ocean Sunfish)
"Charted here" species were listed by our editors from the sources on this page. Counts are GBIF occurrence records: observations logged within about 5 km of the charted position since 1990, matched only against the species in our catalogue. They show what has been seen there, not a promise of what you will see.
For photographers
Wide angle: ★★★★☆ · Macro: ★★★☆☆ (editors' 1–5 rating of what this site gives each style of shooting)