Point Vicente State Marine Conservation Area (No-Take), and Abalone Cove State Marine Conservation Area

These two MPAs are geologically part of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, a large, rugged point made of Altamira shale that has been uplifted over millions of years due to local tectonic activity. The shale created an erosion-resistant shoreline with rocky reefs, coves, and kelp forests close to shore. Just offshore lies a large shelf, or underwater cliff, and deep sandy seafloor.

As a rocky headland, Point Vicente SMCA (No-Take) is a diverse and productive area with deep water near shore, healthy kelp forests, and complex physical landforms. Offshore, sandy seafloor provides habitat for flatfishes including sole, halibut, and flounder, while rocky seafloor anchors kelp forests that thrive and provide refuge for rockfish, California sheephead, kelp bass, lingcod, and painted greenling.

Invertebrates like sea cucumbers, spot prawn, ridgeback prawn, crabs, and California spiny lobster move freely beneath the ocean surface, while immobile invertebrates like mussels, scallops, and barnacles cling to the rocks. Larger marine animals are also common to the area, with thousands of gray whales spotted each winter from Point Vicente. Dolphins, harbor seals, and sea lions may be spotted year-round, and divers may see occasional giant sea bass.

For centuries, Native American Tribes in California have relied on marine and coastal resources. Many Native American Tribes in California continue to regularly harvest marine resources within their ancestral territories and maintain relationships with the coast for ongoing customary uses. Point Vicente is a part of the Rancho Palos Verdes area, which dates back to the Gabrielino (Tongva) people who have inhabited the land for thousands of years. The Tongva used the local resources for food, trade, and building supplies. The traditional Tongva diet consists of halibut, lobster, sea bass, and intertidal organisms. The abundant natural tar and oil seeps were used as sealants for sturdy, ocean-going canoes employed in fishing and trading.

The first documented European activity dates back to 1542 when Spanish explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo navigated the coastline. Rancho Palos Verdes was established by a Mexican land grant in 1846 and given to Juan Capistrano Sepulveda. The point itself was later named Point Vicente by Captain George Vancouver who named it after his friend Friar Vicente of the Mission Buenaventura. Ranching became the primary use of the area, with the land remaining largely unoccupied until commercial and residential development began in the early 1900s.

One of the biggest additions to this stretch of coast occurred in 1926 when the Point Vicente Lighthouse was erected to keep ships safe from this challenging stretch of coast. In 1929, the Portuguese Bend landslide occurred at the southern point of San Pedro, near Abalone Cove, moving 40,000 feet of land into the Pacific Ocean and earning the area the name Sunken City. Despite growth and construction in the early 1900s, much of the land and coastline along the Palos Verdes Peninsula remains undeveloped, a rare occurrence in the greater Los Angeles area.

Point Vicente SMCA (No-Take) and Abalone Cove SMCA are unique protected areas in a heavily developed region of the state. The protection afforded by these MPAs has created an area well-suited for beachgoers, whale watchers, surfers, and scuba and free divers. Divers may even catch a glimpse of a giant sea bass, California’s largest nearshore bony fish that can reach more than eight feet in length and weigh more than 500 pounds.

Point Vicente SMCA (No-Take) is a No-Take SMCA that prohibits all recreational and commercial fishing, while Abalone Cove SMCA allows recreational take of white seabass and pelagic finfish by spear and market squid by hand-held dip net. The Point Vicente Interpretive Center is located on the bluffs overlooking the MPAs next to the Point Vicente Lighthouse. The Center offers information and activities to visitors and is a popular location to watch for whales. Coastal access and parking can be found at the Point Vicente Interpretive Center, Pelican Cove, Terranea Resort, and Abalone Cove Shoreline Park.

Point Vicente SMCA (No-Take)

This area is bounded by the mean high tide line and straight lines connecting the following points in the order listed except where noted:

33° 44.800′ N. lat. 118° 24.807′ W. long.;
33° 44.800′ N. lat. 118° 28.931′ W. long.; thence southeastward along the three nautical mile offshore boundary to
33° 41.155′ N. lat. 118° 23.800′ W. long.; and
33° 44.198′ N. lat. 118° 23.800′ W. long.

California Code of Regulations Title 14, Section 632(b)(119)

Abalone Cove SMCA

This area is bounded by the mean high tide line and straight lines connecting the following points in the order listed except where noted:

33° 44.198′ N. lat. 118° 23.800′ W. long.;
33° 41.155′ N. lat. 118° 23.800′ W. long.; thence southeastward along the three nautical mile offshore boundary to
33° 40.851′ N. lat. 118° 22.500′ W. long.; and
33° 44.240′ N. lat. 118° 22.500′ W. long.

California Code of Regulations Title 14, Section 632(b)(120)

Downloads for Point Vicente SMCA (No-Take)

Map

Facts, Map & Regulations

Downloads for Abalone Cove SMCA

Map

Facts, Map & Regulations