Point Lobos unveils 3D model of the Marine Reserve seafloor.

If you've been to Whalers Cove in Point Lobos State Park, you may have seen wetsuitted divers preparing to plunge into the cold teal waters that give that shoreline such postcard-perfect detail.

The park only issues 30 dive permits per day. Those lucky few report back with resplendent scenes of underwater life: fish darting through the kelp forests, curious harbor seals and incredible topography—narrow chasms and steep ledges and soaring pinnacles.

Now, that underwater world is a little easier for the rest of us to picture.

On May 10, collaborators led by Bay Area Underwater Explorers (BAUE) unveiled a 3D model of nearly 247 acres at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve.

BAUE diver Gary Banta of Carmel sculpted the model out of plastic foam, using inshore scanning data collected by the Seafloor Mapping Lab at CSU Monterey Bay. Then he made a mold of the model in reverse and sent it to a Bay Area company, which cast the model in concrete. Banta also made the model's wooden shell and concrete base.

He says he's done hundreds of dives off Point Lobos, and he often fields questions from the non-diving public, who want to know what he sees in the formidable waters.

"There's cool stuff to see," he says. "In fact, it's one of the most beautiful places to dive in the world."

According to a press release from the Point Lobos Foundation, divers used to swap info in the Whalers Cove parking lot as they planned their dives, "drawing rough maps in the sand with their shoes."

Gary hopes the 3D model will help beginning divers figure out how to start exploring Point Lobos and inspire seasoned divers to check out new features.

The California State Parks Foundation presented Banta with the prestigious California Golden Poppy Award for his efforts.