San Juan Islands
United States · Washington
The San Juan archipelago sits at the confluence of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Strait of Georgia, where tidal exchanges push nutrient-dense water through narrow passes at up to 8 knots. Resident and transient orca pods hunt these channels. Below the surface, giant Pacific octopus, wolf eels, and tube-dwelling anemones carpet rocky walls. Kelp canopies shelter copper rockfish and lingcod. This is cold-water Pacific Northwest diving at its most dramatic — drysuits mandatory, rewards extraordinary.
How this reef is doing
ⓘ How we measure thisReef state
Live science signals for this reef are still being gathered.
Coral cover
Fish life
Heat
Fishing
Protected on paper, but boats are still busy nearby.
Sources · Global Fishing Watch and reef gravity
What you will see
22 species across the dive sites here
Bull Kelp
Seen 22 days ago
at Turn Island State Park
Southern Resident Killer Whale
Seen 22 days ago
at Lime Kiln Point State Park
Sea Stars (Purple/Orange)
Seen 23 days ago
at Lime Kiln Point State Park
Kelp
Seen 23 days ago
at Lime Kiln Point State Park
China Crabs
Seen 25 days ago
at Lime Kiln Point State Park
Kelp Crab
Seen 25 days ago
at Deadman's Bay
Pacific Harbor Seal
Seen 25 days ago
at Lime Kiln Point State Park
Least concern
Purple Sea Urchin
Seen 27 days ago
at Deadman's Bay
Sunflower Sea Star
Seen 27 days ago
at Deadman's Bay
Critically endangered
Copper Rockfish
Seen 29 days ago
at Lime Kiln Point State Park
Near threatened
Giant Green Anemone
Seen 1 month ago
at Turn Island State Park
Cabezon
Seen 1 month ago
at Turn Island State Park
Lingcod
Seen 1 month ago
at Lime Kiln Point State Park
Plumose Anemone
Seen 2 months ago
at Deadman's Bay
Red Sea Urchin
Seen 2 months ago
at Eagle Point, Orcas Island
Black Rockfish
Seen 2 months ago
at Deadman's Bay
Giant Pacific Octopus
Seen 3 months ago
at Turn Island State Park
Least concern
Wolf Eel
Seen 4 months ago
at Deadman's Bay
Least concern
Pile Perch
Seen 9 months ago
at Eagle Point, Orcas Island
Least concern
Boot Sponge
Seen year round
at Lime Kiln Point State Park
Encrusting Sponge
Seen year round
at Eagle Point, Orcas Island
Strawberry Anemone
Seen year round
at Lime Kiln Point State Park
Dive sites
Turn Island State Park
giant pacific octopus · purple sea urchin · plumose anemone · lingcod
Lime Kiln Point State Park
southern resident killer whale · giant pacific octopus · kelp · strawberry anemone
Deadman's Bay
giant pacific octopus · wolf eel · black rockfish · copper rockfish
Eagle Point, Orcas Island
giant pacific octopus · plumose anemone · black rockfish · pile perch