Though water temps are in the high 40s to low 50s, Van Damme Cove is well-known to hearty divers and snorkelers for very calm conditions with 10- to 15-foot visibility. Just two miles south of Mendocino at Little River Beach, you’ll encounter heavy kelp beds, jellyfish and kelp as well as Dungeness crabs, sea cucumbers, red abalone and nudibranchs. All were once plentiful, but a recent explosion of purple sea urchins has prevented kelp forests from recovering and negatively affected their populations. Free beach parking lot with cold showers and bathrooms — the campground has hot showers. shorediving.com