RecreationSlowly, peacefully you swim through a kelp forest. You take deliberate breaths through your regulator. The sunlight beams through the water, casting eerie, cathedral-like shadows. The colors around you are spectacular, and the kelp gently brushes against your wetsuit.You are enchanted. You are in a marine sanctuary.
 Soon, the kelp near you parts, and you are startled by a plump sausage with brown eyes and whiskers. He’s a California sea lion, practically in your mask, and he’s checking you out. After he recognizes that you are probably not his date for the evening, he swims off. But he’ll be back for another look.
You swim through the kelp, and find yourself alongside a reef. You check out the reefs’ many nooks and coral growths. Then something grabs your attention. You pause for a closer look and notice several lobsters huddled together inside a crevice.
These and other natural wonders await divers who descend into any of the nation’s 13 national marine sanctuaries and ecosystem reserve.
But diving isn’t the only recreational activity available to visitors coming to the sanctuaries. Across our regions, kayakers, boaters, bird watchers, fishermen, and more are treated to a myriad of ways to enjoy nature at its best.
Navigate through our links and discover the many recreational activities that await.
Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary
The Channel Islands provides everyone with a plethora of outdoor activities to choose from. Kayaking to any of the five islands, whether it is for a day trip or for a couple of nights of camping, shows the surrounding marine life in the area and spectacular views of the Santa Ynez Mountains on the mainland. Someone looking for a different view of the Islands can join one of the many boat or plane excursions bringing people to the five Islands year round. The islands provide fabulous snorkeling and SCUBA opportunities to even the unexperienced diver, where the diverse kelp forests can be explored in pristine waters. Boating, fishing, swimming, and even hiking and whale and bird watching can also be explored when visiting the Channel Islands Nation Marine Sanctuary.
Check out these education facilities:
Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary
Exploring the Cordell Bank NMS can take you to many different locations. Whether you are on a boat “wildlife watching”, visiting UC Davis’ Bodega Marine Laboratory, or at the Aquarium of the Bay you can be learning about the underwater species found throughout Cordell Bank. Other opportunities in the area allow for fishing, crabbing, sailing and boating. Guided naturalist tours often leave from Bodega Harbor allowing visitors to get an up close view of the sanctuary and learn about the extreme biological productivity that takes place in the waters of Cordell Bank.
More information about Cordell Bank
Overlapping information about Cordell Bank NMS and the Gulf of the Farallones NMS can be found at http://www.farallones.org/default.asp.
Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary
The only sanctuary to house a true tropical coral reef, Fagatele Bay is home to a very complex ecosystem that provides homes for many endangered species. Visitors can reach the sanctuary either by a 1-2 hour boat trip or by foot on a trail leading to a small beach. There you can enjoy a refreshing swim, nice picnic, or even some fishing. Divers and snorkelers can enjoy observing the many tropical fish inhabiting the area, as well as algae, coral and possibly even an endangered sperm whale or green sea turtle.
Visit http://www.nps.gov/npsa/home.htm or
http://www.nps.gov/npsa/pphtml/activities.html
for more information on local recreation.
Local information can be found at the American Samoa Chamber of Commerce: http://www.amsamoa.com/tourism/index.html
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
The Florida Keys NMS is known for its great diving opportunities. With almost 900,000 visitors snorkeling or diving yearly the area provides many options for trips to dive in the sanctuary. Opportunities are also available for sailing, kayaking, fishing, wildlife watching and various eco-tours. Local information about the Florida Keys: http://fla-keys.com/ and http://www.floridakeys.com/
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
Diving is the main attraction at this National Marine Sanctuary, where reaching the beautiful coral reefs takes a 7-8 hour boat trip. The long trip is worth it when divers are able to see more than 200 species of marine life, including graceful manta rays, a “golden” smooth trunkfish, or leatherback turtles. If you would like to stay on land to experience this NMS, you can visit the Flower Garden Banks Sanctuary exhibit at the Texas State Aquarium, Corpus Christi, TX or try your hand at traditional hook and line fishing (remember no spear fishing allowed!).
Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary
Sport fishing and diving are among the activities you can do while visiting Gray’s Reef, one of the largest near shore live bottom reefs of the southeastern United States. If you happen to be at the sanctuary in April you may catch the sidewalk arts festival where you can see hundreds of pieces of sidewalk art made by students of the Savannah College of Art and Design. Gray’s Reef NMS gives an award for the best underwater marine environment scene drawn in its Fantastic Fishes Art Contest. You could also stop in at one of the local museums, visitor centers, or aquariums, such as the Skidaway Aquarium in Savannah, the Fernbank Museum of Natural History in Atlanta or the Sapelo Visitors Center in Meridian.
For seasonal news - http://graysreef.noaa.gov/news.html
www.savannah-online.com allows you to find other local events, as well as dining and lodging near to the NMS.
Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary
With so many ways to access this National Marine Sanctuary everyone can take advantage of all it has to offer! One can find easy access through Point Reyes National Seashore, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Tomales Bay State Park, and several local parks. Kayaking, sailing, even surfing and boardsailing are some of the activities that can be found in the Gulf of the Farallones. Snorkelers and divers can explore the diverse underwater ecosystem found right off the San Francisco shore – you can even go abalone diving! If there isn’t enough time to actually visit the Farallone Islands you can visit one of the many local visitor centers. When visiting the National Marine Sanctuary Visitors Center on Crissy Field in the Presidio of San Francisco you can get your hands wet and learn about the local environment in their touch tanks. You can also visit the Pacifica Visitors Center located near Rockaway Beach.
Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary
Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary provides a habitat conducive to numerous marine activities, which range from catching waves while surfing to exploring the ocean’s depths while diving. The main attraction at this sanctuary is the thousands of whales that migrate to the sanctuary in order to breed, calve, and nurse their young and provide for excellent whale watching. Whales are not all this sanctuary has to offer though. Over 25% of all Hawaii’s reef animals are found nowhere else on earth. Visitors who choose to dive, snorkel, or even just swim around the sanctuary can enjoy these unique animals. Other options to take advantage of at the sanctuary include surfing or fishing. Visitors are able to surf amazing waves or spend an afternoon fishing for that night’s dinner. The sanctuary provides diverse and exciting opportunities for visitors to experience the ocean in many new ways.
Monitor National Marine Sanctuary
The Monitor National Marine Sanctuary may be the first and therefore the oldest sanctuary, but its recreation possibilities can rival any of the other sanctuaries. One of the most impressive offerings of the sanctuary is The Mariners’ Museum, one of the largest international museums in the world. The museum displays numerous Monitor artifacts, including its anchor and revolutionary engine. Since the Monitor’s resting place is so fragile, less recreational exploration is allowed than at other sites. However, the museum provides visitors with the next best thing to being underwater with the sunken vessel.
Check out http://www.mariner.org/ and to learn more about the museum and it’s exhibits.
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is home to miles of undeveloped beaches, an underwater canyon, our nation’s largest kelp forest, and many more natural habitats that are just waiting to be explored by eager visitors. Visitors are able to take a boat trip to watch the varied marine wildlife, including whales, sea otters, seal, sea lions, and birds. The water’s secrets can also be discovered by sea kayaking, diving, snorkeling, sailing or boating. Closer to the shore, visitors are able to surf, fish or go tidepooling. Other options include bird-watching at Elkhorn Slough, the second-largest coastal wetland in California, visiting numerous state beaches and coastal state reserves with miles of undeveloped beaches, hiking trails, and two visitor-accessible breeding colonies of Northern elephant seals, or learning about the local marine ecosystem at the local marine ecosystem at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey or the Seymour Marine Discovery Center in Santa Cruz. From surfing to diving and hiking to boating, Monterey Bay provides recreation that can grab anyone’s attention.
Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem
Visitors can get a taste of what the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve has to offer by going to the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. Tourists can enjoy its unique wildlife, marine and historic resources. There are some recreational fishing opportunities in the area, but make sure to check on the regulations before going. There are also some areas that allow diving. The sanctuary’s coral reefs are the foundation of an ecosystem that hosts more than 7,000 species, and at least one quarter are found nowhere else on Earth. Divers who respect and protect these reefs are ensuring that they will be around for years to come. The reserve is a very delicate and important area, so its important that visitors know of the regulations in order to safely appreciate what the reserve has to offer.
Recreational Opportunities found in Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary
From kayaking to camping to wildlife watching, the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary allows visitors to experience the ocean in a plethora of ways. Visitors could spend the afternoon beachcombing or watching numerous marine wildlife, which include sea otters, whales, sea lions, and birds and then spend the night camping at Olympic National Park and Washington State Parks coastal sites. Charter fishing for salmon, rockfish, and bottomfish is also available as is recreational diving, snorkeling and kayaking. More kinds of kelp are found at the sanctuary than anywhere else in the world. A visitor can also choose to backpack on the wilderness coast, hike on the Makah Indian Reservation, or go tidepooling. There are so many ways for visitors to appreciate all different aspects of the sanctuary while protecting the area that is home to thousands of different species.
Check out the Olympic National Park activities web site
Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary
The Gerry E. Studds Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary provides numerous maritime activities that can entertain everyone from the water novice to the expert diver. A visitor to the sanctuary can take an excursion boat from numerous local areas and partake in watching marine wildlife, particularly whales. The site has been named one of the ten top whale-watching sites in the world and the only one in the continental United States. Other tourist possibilities include fishing excursions or occasional dive trips to the bank by commercial operations for experienced divers. Several nearby aquariums feature sanctuary displays. Visitors can stop by the New England Aquarium to view a sanctuary management-related exhibit entitled “Storm over Stellwagen,” or they can visit the National Marine Fisheries Service Aquarium and see a sanctuary exhibit and live fish on display. Stellwagen Bank provides everything from glimpses of endangered whales to learning opportunities at numerous museums and aquariums.
Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
A visitor to the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary can experience everything from fantastic recreational diving to exciting kayaking and boating. Divers at Thunder Bay are able to explore numerous shipwrecks and thereby discover a vast collection of maritime stories. From wooden schooners to early steel-hulled steamers, divers are able to see first-hand the hidden treasures of America’s past. Sanctuary visitors who prefer to stay above the water can view the water’s surface and natural surroundings by sailing, boating, kayaking or canoeing. Another option lies with staying on dry land and fishing, bird watching, or learning about the Great Lakes maritime history by visiting local museums or lighthouses. Thunder Bay has something for everyone, no matter what type of activities spark your interest.
Recreational opportunities found in Thunder Bay NMS
- BaySail, which supports its Environmental Education and Youth Development programs through public sails, private charters and group tours around Lake Huron.
- The Great Lakes Circle Tour, connecting all of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Rive through a designated, scenic road system.
- Here's more information about recreation on and around Lake Huron.
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