Hermosa Beach below the surface teems with wild wonders, which Clark McNulty, owner of lifestyle website HookBuzz.com, has seen first-hand, but a 9-pound lobster he recently found in the Hermosa reef remains among the wildest.
"He was sort of tucked away in this spot that was just about big enough for his body," McNulty told Patch on Thursday. The lobster was grabbed by McNulty's brother, Kirk, when the two went on a diving expedition Saturday. "We could tell just how big he was by his front legs."
The so-called Hermosa reef, a large area of scattered debris, sits near the coast and is believed to have been created in the 1970s, McNulty said.
"Some of the old trolley cars that used to run along the coast are out there, and they also dumped some freeway concrete pillars and slabs out there for an artificial reef," McNulty said. "Most people have no clue it’s there."
Along with the Hermosa reef, McNulty, a Palos Verdes native, said he dives anywhere from Catalina to the Channel Islands down to the South Bay. He captures his experiences on video and shares them online (see accompanying video under photo.)
With each adventure, McNulty said he encourages protecting Southern California beaches and keeping "the area as pristine as possible."
"I know you see all these reports in the paper of these guys getting busted for taking over their limit," he said. "That’s what just kills the area."
Editor's Note: This article was udpated with information about Kirk McNulty at 5:47 p.m. Thursday.
