Deadman's Bay
San Juan Islands · United States
Deadman's Bay on the northwest end of San Juan Island is a sheltered kelp-walled cove where the current is reduced compared to the exposed west shore. Rocky reefs step down to 20 m through bull kelp forests thick with school of black rockfish and copper rockfish. Giant Pacific octopus are abundant — this site has one of the highest encounter rates in the San Juan Islands. Wolf eels share the boulder fields at depth. The protected aspect makes it one of the more forgiving entry points on the island, though a drysuit is still essential.
Conditions
Depth
3 to 20 m
Open water and up
Current
Usually still
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
5 to 8 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
7 to 13°C
drysuit required
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 |
| Vis (m) | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Current | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Still | Still | Still | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Copper Rockfish
Last confirmed Jun 29, 2026 · 99 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Purple Sea Urchin
Last confirmed Jul 1, 2026 · 138 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Kelp Crab
Last confirmed Jul 3, 2026 · 895 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Giant Pacific Octopus
Last confirmed Apr 7, 2026 · 60 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Plumose Anemone
Last confirmed May 26, 2026 · 40 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Lingcod
Last confirmed May 31, 2026 · 67 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Bull Kelp
Last confirmed Jul 5, 2026 · 1170 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Sunflower Sea Star
Last confirmed Jul 1, 2026 · 84 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Gear