Malaga Cove

Malaga Cove is widely considered one of the premier shore dive destinations on the Palos Verdes Peninsula — a consistently productive and visually impressive site that draws Los Angeles-area divers back repeatedly throughout the year. Located at the northernmost tip of the peninsula in the city of Palos Verdes Estates, Malaga Cove offers shore access to a rugged rocky reef environment with excellent biodiversity and the kind of dramatic underwater topography — boulders, ridges, crevices, and sand channels — that concentrates marine life and rewards attentive exploration. Entry is via a concrete stairway to the beach and then a walk-in across sand and cobble, with reef appearing within a short swim in 10 to 50 feet of water. Visibility at Malaga Cove tends to be among the best of any Palos Verdes site, frequently reaching 20 to 40 feet, with occasional exceptional days exceeding 50 feet. The reef supports a classic Southern California rocky subtidal community in robust form. California moray eels are among the most frequently photographed subjects — the Pacific moray is more robust and muscular than its Atlantic cousins, and encounters with large individuals emerging from rock crevices are memorable and photogenic. Sheephead are abundant, the color-shifting adults navigating the reef with the self-possession of fish that have occupied the same territory for years. Various rockfish species are distributed through the water column — from schooling blue rockfish hovering above the kelp to deep-dwelling gopher rockfish pressed against the bottom. Bat rays and round stingrays glide over the sandy patches, and the occasional California angel shark lies motionless against the sand in perfect camouflage. Spiny lobster densities are good throughout the reef, particularly in cavities and under overhangs. Nudibranchs of multiple species provide endless macro subjects for underwater photographers. Malaga Cove rewards exploratory diving — swimming along rock ridges in 20 to 30 feet of water reveals new life at every turn.