| At the southern-most tip of the USA is
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| | Canadian destroyer Yukon, which was
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| beautiful San Diego, California -- my
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| | intentionally sunk here in about 100 feet
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| home town and a playground for every
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| | of water during the year 2000. The Yukon
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| water sport from skiing, sailing and
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| | still has years to go before it can
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| surfing to fishing, snorkeling and scuba
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| | compete with its older companions as a
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| diving.
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| | showpiece of densely populated cover.
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| As a scuba diver you'll find an exciting
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| | The Ruby E, a 170-foot Coast Guard cutter
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| variety of marine life in Wreck Alley, in
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| | resting in about 70 feet of water, was
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| various kelp forests and in La Jolla's
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| | covered bow to stern with brilliantly
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| massive underwater park.
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| | colored Corynactis Californica anemones
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| The park combines La Jolla Submarine
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| | only a few years ago. But being one of
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| Canyon and Scripps Canyon, an underwater
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| | the most beautiful sights for scuba
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| treasure of marine life including some of
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| | divers' eyes brought so much scuba diving
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| the more bizarre creatures among us.
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| | traffic that some of the life has
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| The valley of this huge canyon system is
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| | disappeared. Yet you can still drift
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| about 1600 feet down. Its steep walls
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| | through the wheelhouse and be absolutely
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| rise into two branches just made for
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| | dazzled by thick growths in a stunning
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| convenient scuba diving access from the
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| | array of colors. Be sure to bring a
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| beach at either the La Jolla Cove or La
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| | light.
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| Jolla Shores.
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| | Then there's the kelp cutter Del Rey and
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| At the La Jolla Shores side you can start
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| | several smaller wrecks, all with much
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| at the foot of Valicitos Street and swim
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| | more growth than the others because of
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| to the buoys that mark the canyon's upper
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| | lighter scuba diving traffic.
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| reaches. Better be pretty skilled at
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| | Now if you want to feel like you're on an
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| swimming in surf. Otherwise, take a scuba
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| | underwater highway, be sure to visit the
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| diving charter boat out of Mission Bay.
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| | Ingraham Street Bridge at about 60 feet
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| By the time you've descended to about 30
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| | down. It was demolished and dumped here
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| feet you'll be at the Scripps Canyon rim
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| | in the '50s or '60s to make way for a new
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| and its precipitous, narrow walls that
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| | bridge in Mission Bay Aquatic Park. Now
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| plunge ever deeper toward the abyss. Be
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| | with some 50 years of cover it has become
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| very careful here because the dropoff is
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| | more like a natural reef with abundant
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| nearly vertical at some points, often
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| | growths of kelp, fans and algae, great
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| involving overhanging walls.
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| | colonies of filter feeders and all the
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| Visibility is good but variable due to
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| | marine life that comes to nibble.
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| upwellings and occasional strong
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| | Finally, there's NOSC Tower, thanks to a
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| currents. Winter water temperature is in
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| | 20-foot wave that dealt a fatal blow in
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| the 50s; summer water gets up to the high
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| | the dark of one 1988 winter night. For
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| 60s and sometimes low 70s.
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| | three decades the NOSC Tower had served
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| Scuba divers and scientists alike have
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| | as a research platform off Mission Beach
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| made the La Jolla and Scripps Canyons one
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| | for the Naval Electronics Lab and the
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| of the most-studied undersea environments
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| | Naval Ocean Systems Center. Now it's a
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| in the world. You can see the prestigious
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| | twisted mass of steel covered with
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| Scripps Institution of Oceanography and
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| | anemones, mussels and star for fabulous
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| pier from any point along the La Jolla
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| | scuba diving in a world of stunning
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| coastline. La Jolla Canyon's fan valley
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| | color. Bring a light for the show and a
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| was the site of the world's first deep
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| | sharp knife for the fishing line and rope
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| oceanic drillings, where core samples
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| | that you're likely to find.
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| were retrieved from thousands of feet
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| | Bring your camera too, of course, for a
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| below the sea floor in 1961.
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| | great photography dive. Visibility
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| 15 minutes south of La Jolla is Wreck
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| | averages 15-25 feet and by the way,
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| Alley, about a mile off Mission Beach.
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| | hunting is not wanted here.
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| Here you can explore artificial reefs
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| | You can reach this great scuba location
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| created by eight sunken ships and a
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| | on such Mission Bay charter boats as Blue
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| couple of unlikely structures that got
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| | Escape (619-223-3483), Dive Connection
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| there by both accident and intent.
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| | (619-523-9282) and DiveQuest
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| The latest addition is the 366-foot
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| | (800-303-3483).
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