Anacapa Island
California, USA
- Typical depth
- 18 m
- Type
- Reef
- Level
- Intermediate
Marine life
- Rays
- bat ray, horn shark (small), swell shark
- Macro
- Spanish shawl nudibranch, sea hare
- Whales & dolphins
- California sea lion (rookery on East Anacapa), harbor seal, common dolphin (transit)
- Reef fish
- garibaldi (CA state fish), sheephead, kelp bass, blacksmith schools, lingcod, rockfish, opaleye
- Cephalopods
- two-spot octopus, market squid
- Invertebrates
- giant kelp canopy, strawberry anemone walls, red gorgonian, sea stars, sea urchin, rock scallop
Site features
- National Park
- Marine Reserve
- Kelp Forest
- Wall
- Boat Dive
- Sea Lion Colony
- Seasonal Surge
When to dive
- Best
- Jul–Nov
- Avoid
- Feb–Apr
Anacapa Island is the closest of the northern Channel Islands to the mainland — day-boat charter from Ventura/Oxnard via Island Packers. Its three islets (East, Middle, West) are within Channel Islands National Park, and the waters off the north side of the island are protected as the Anacapa Island State Marine Reserve (one of California's network of MPAs). Dense kelp forest, walls covered in strawberry anemones, big lingcod and sheephead, and large schools of blacksmith. Late summer and fall (Aug–Oct) bring the warmest water, calmest seas, and best viz before winter swells return. Surge can be significant on the exposed sides.
Conditions & access
- Visibility
- 8–20 m
- Water temp
- 11–18 °C
- Current
- Moderate
- Access
- Open access
- Min cert
- Open Water + cold-water/kelp orientation; Advanced helpful for the deeper walls and surge
Location
34.0150° N, 119.3633° W
Sources
Curated from 2 sources
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