Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary
A mix of warm southern and cool northern currents converging around the Channel Islands creates a nutrient-rich environment in this West Coast sanctuary that supports extraordinary biodiversity. The confluence of currents attracts flourishing populations of fish, including giant sea bass, sheephead and the fiercely territorial garibaldi. Invertebrates are also plentiful, with bunches of purple sea urchins nestled along the shore’s rocky terrain. Bat stars are commonly found in the intertidal zone, as are gardens of large sun-shaped anemones. The California sea lion, known for its intense curiosity and underwater agility, is plentiful in these waters.
Home to this magnificent array of marine life is a variety of habitats: thick kelp beds, sea caves, steep walls, rocky ledges and even sunken ships, which — among other culture treasures, such as Chumash Indian artifacts — are protected in the 1,658 square miles of the sanctuary. Best temperatures for diving these treasures are in the summer, ranging from 65 – 75 degrees, while best visibility — up to 100 feet — occurs during late fall and early winter when upwelling is minimal.
Quick Facts
Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary
Remote and deep, with strong currents, Cordell Bank does not provide good recreational diving opportunities, but volunteers are welcome to get involved with education and outreach efforts to protect the 526-square-mile sanctuary. Waters around the bank are generally 400 feet deep, but along a few of its ridges and pinnacles this submerged island rises to within 120 feet of the ocean surface. The depth, currents and distance from the mainland have largely kept this fascinating part of the California seafloor a mystery to both scientists and the public. However, with ongoing research and volunteer monitoring, strides are being made in understanding, protecting and teaching the public about this special place.
Quick Facts
- Cordell Bank is one of the richest upwelling sites in the Pacific Ocean.
- More species of albatross have been identified here than anywhere else in the northern hemisphere.
- Throughout the year, the sanctuary is host to five endangered or threatened species: the Stellar sea lion, humpback whale, blue whale, brown pelican and short-tailed albatross.
- Beach Watch (volunteer)
- SEALS (volunteer)
- Sanctuary Regulations
- Current Weather
- Shipwreck Database
Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Nestled in a submerged volcanic crater on the southwest shore of Tutuila island, American Samoa, Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary covers only 0.25 square miles but contains a wealth of biodiversity. An ancient Polynesian culture has served as steward of this fringing coral reef ecosystem with 200 species of coral and more than 500 species of fish and other animals including octopus, anemones, crabs, blacktip reef sharks, parrotfish and hawksbill turtles.
In the late 1970s, Fagatele Bay was devastated by a crown-of-thorns starfish attack that destroyed over 90 percent of its coral. The sanctuary was created to protect the reef from other stress factors and facilitate its recovery. Due to its remote location and lack of diving support infrastructure, the sanctuary is not considered a feasible diving destination.
Quick Facts
- Fagatele Bay is the smallest of the national marine sanctuaries, but one of the most biologically diverse.
- It contains the only true tropical coral reef within the National Marine Sanctuary System.
- Sanctuary staff works closely with the local government to incorporate aspects of traditional Samoan culture into management of the sanctuary.
- Sanctuary Regulations
- Current Weather
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
An international dive destination, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary is home to one of the most diverse underwater assemblages of plants and animals in North America. Protected in the sanctuary are fringing mangroves, seagrass meadows, hardbottom communities and shipwrecks like the City of Washington, Benwood, Bibb and Duane, which are only a few of the pre-colonial and modern maritime highlights along the sanctuary’s Shipwreck Trail.
Each of the habitats in the Florida Keys provides a home to a dazzling array of marine life. Corals such as elkhorn, staghorn, billiard and brain abound, as do a variety of other residents including goatfish, parrotfish, lobster and nurse sharks. Water temperatures range in the mid-80s in summer and low 70s in winter. Visibility can vary greatly according to weather conditions and other factors, but is typically in the 40- to 60-foot range. When the Gulf Stream moves close to the reefs, visibility can exceed 100 feet.
Quick Facts
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
About 100 miles off the coasts of Texas and Louisiana, a trio of underwater gardens emerge from the depths of the Gulf of Mexico. These fertile coral reefs — the northernmost of their kind in the continental U.S. — serve as regional reservoirs of shallow water, bringing together in one spot a dense and diverse mix of marine life. The salt domes of Flower Garden Banks and Stetson Bank provide home to corals, sponges and colorful Caribbean reef fishes.
Even big marine life frequents the sanctuary, which hosts visitors such as manta rays, loggerhead turtles, hammerhead sharks and occasionally massive whale sharks. Visibility can vary but generally stays between 75 – 150 feet, providing for great dives even on the worst day. Similarly, temperatures range from the mid-60s in the winter well into the 80s during summer. All of these factors combine to make Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary a premier diving destination.
Quick Facts
Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary
The 23-square-mile Gray’s Reef sanctuary is located 20 miles east of Sapelo Island, Georgia. One of the largest nearshore limestone reefs in the southeastern U.S., the sanctuary lies in waters 50 to 70 feet deep, optimal for the colonization of a live-bottom community. An array of marine invertebrates such as sponges and soft corals flourishes at Gray’s Reef, attracting a rich diversity of fish species including snapper, grouper and amberjack.
Larger marine life includes animals like the Hawksbill sea turtle and marine mammals such as the endangered northern right whale. In fact, the sanctuary lies just north of the calving grounds for this endangered whale, and in 1986, the United Nations designated Gray’s Reef an International Biosphere Reserve, providing global testimony to the importance of this area for marine life. Visibility is usually between 15 – 45 feet, with temperatures ranging from a cool 50 degrees in winter to 85 in summer.
Quick Facts
Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary
Off the coast of California, stretching to the north and west of San Francisco, Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary covers 1,255 square miles of coastal and offshore waters surrounding the Farallon Islands. The sanctuary contains spawning grounds and nurseries for commercially valuable fish species, at least 36 species of marine mammals and 13 species of breeding seabirds.
Due to the severe ocean conditions, recreational diving is not encouraged in the sanctuary. Additionally, the Gulf of the Farallones is a feeding ground for white sharks, making diving in this area even more dangerous. The sanctuary has a visitor center, however, and volunteers are welcome to get involved with any of its numerous monitoring and educational programs in this area, such as Beach Watch and SEALS.
Quick Facts
The sanctuary is home to:
- …the largest concentration of breeding seabirds in the continental U.S.
- …one of the highest concentrations of white sharks in the world.
- …27 endangered or threatened species.
- …one of the largest remaining blue whale populations on Earth.
- Sanctuary Regulations
- Current Weather
- Shipwreck Database
Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary
One of the world’s most important humpback whale habitats lies within the 1,370 square miles of ocean surrounding the main Hawaiian Islands managed by the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. Scientists estimate that two-thirds of the entire North Pacific humpback whale population migrates to these warm, shallow Hawaiian waters to breed, calve and nurse their young.
In addition to the humpbacks, the sanctuary is host to an impressive mix of large marine animals such as the Hawaiian monk seal, dolphin, manta ray, green sea turtle and whitetip shark. A diverse array of topographic features such as lava tubes, caverns and coral reefs top off this unique diving locale, making for some of the best U.S. diving west of California. Average temperatures range from 70 to 80 degrees with visibility between 75 – 100 feet.
Quick Facts
Monitor National Marine Sanctuary
Designated in 1975, the one-square-mile Monitor National Marine Sanctuary was the nation’s first marine sanctuary. It is also the only one dedicated to the preservation of a single cultural treasure, the wreck of the famed Civil War ironclad USS Monitor. The Monitor is recognized worldwide for its significance as a vessel that revolutionized 19th-century naval warfare technology and its famous battle at Hampton Roads with the Confederate warship CSS Virginia in 1862. Sinking one year after that historic battle in a storm off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, the Monitor remained lost beneath the waves for more than 100 years until its wreck was located in 1973.
Due to the great depth and unpredictable currents, the Monitor is inaccessible to most divers, although it remains popular with a small group of technical divers who use the necessary breathing gas mixes and procedures. For the rest of us, the new $30 million USS Monitor Center, which opened in March 2006 at The Maritime Museum in Newport News, Virginia, features a stunning collection of exhibits and information on the history of the vessel. Highlights from the center include the Monitor’s iconic rotating gun turret and cannons, which were recovered in August 2002, and a full-size replica of the Monitor herself.
Quick Facts
- The Monitor wreck rests 230 feet below surface off the coast of Cape Hatteras, N.C.
- Designated in 1975, the Monitor site was the first national marine sanctuary.
- The Monitor was the U.S. Navy’s first ironclad vessel.
- Sanctuary Regulations
- Current Weather
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
The largest of the 13 sanctuaries, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary contains many diverse biological communities, from rugged rocky shores to towering giant kelp forests to the great depths of one of North America’s deepest underwater canyons. These habitats provide home to an abundance of marine life including rockfish, swordfish, squid, California sea lions, sea otters and several species of sharks and rays, as well as 27 rare and endangered species like the huge blue whale.
With multiple entry points such as Monterey Bay, Carmel Bay and Point Lobos, the Monterey Bay sanctuary provides some of the best diving opportunities on the West Coast. It is among the cooler sanctuary dive destinations, with average water temperatures in the mid-50s year-round, and dropping to the 40s at deeper sites. Visibility averages 20 to 30 feet, reaching up to 60 feet in fall, providing excellent conditions in which to experience the rich marine life that lives in these waters.
Quick Facts
Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary
Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary serves as a critical link along the Pacific flyway for migratory birds, and its rich upwelling currents make it one of the most productive marine ecosystems on the planet. Within the 3,310 square miles of sanctuary waters are a host of impressive diving habitats including more than 150 documented shipwrecks, rocky reefs, kelp forests, sea stacks and islands that are home to abundant marine life, from gray and humpback whales to otters, salmon and rockfish.
On a typical dive, common sights include Dungeness crabs, urchins, sea stars and a variety of soft corals, anemones and sponges. With average temperatures in the 50s and visibility ranging from 15 to 60 feet, the sanctuary boasts some of the best cold-water diving in the U.S. September offers the most consistent weather, and diminished upwelling during that time of year provides better visibility. Advanced skills and extensive experience in exposed, open water are required due to surge, cold water, tricky current and isolation.
Quick Facts
Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary
Ice age glaciers formed Stellwagen Bank at the mouth of Massachusetts Bay. Strong ocean currents sweep cold water in and out of the bay, with the bank funneling this flow into narrow passageways. The resulting nutrient-rich waters make the 842-square-mile sanctuary an area of high marine productivity, supporting a food web with species ranging from phytoplankton to great whales.
Highly variable weather events, however, do not always favor small craft, and diving can be similarly hazardous. With this in mind, dives should only be considered by experienced divers with technical training and advanced certification, along with capable surface support knowledgeable of the area.
Quick Facts
- Stellwagen Bank was formed by glacial activity during the last ice age.
- Nutrient rich waters rising to the surface make the sanctuary a prime feeding ground for humpback whales, northern right whales, white-sided dolphins, bluefin tuna, Atlantic cod, winter flounder, sea scallops and northern lobster.
- Whale watching is a popular activity allowing visitors to see the sanctuary’s abundant marine life.
- Current Weather
Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
This 448-square-mile sanctuary provides some of the best wreck diving in the world. Designated in 2000, it is the newest sanctuary and the first in the Great Lakes. Located just off the coast of Alpena, Michigan, the known shipwrecks in Thunder Bay rest range from 12 to 180 feet deep. Among them are wooden schooners, barks, brigs, steamers, barges, tugboats, steel-hulled steamers and freighters — a veritable catalogue of American maritime history spanning 200 years, preserved in exceptional condition by the cold, fresh waters of Lake Huron.
Visibility is generally excellent, with many days well over 100 feet. The maximum surface temperature by August reaches the mid-70s, though depths greater than 45 feet stay in the mid-50s, and drop to the 30s in technical diving ranges. Dive season starts around Memorial Day and extends through mid-October.
Quick Facts
Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument
Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, the largest marine conservation area in the world, encompasses nearly 140,000 square miles of the Pacific Ocean around the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands — an area larger than all of America’s national parks combined. The extensive coral reefs found within the monument are home to over 7,000 marine species, one quarter of which — like the endangered Hawaiian monk seal — are found nowhere else on Earth.
To preserve the pristine ecosystems of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, only a handful of researchers are permitted to enter the waters of the monument. While we must protect this underwater treasure by not interfering with it, there are many ways to experience its wonders from afar. At the Mokupapapa Discovery Center, the monument’s 4,000-square-foot facility in Hilo, visitors can experience a “virtual dive” surrounding the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
Quick Facts
- Approximately 70 percent of all coral reefs in U.S. waters are in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands.
- The monument covers 137,797 square miles, making it the largest conservation area in the U.S. and the largest marine conservation area in the world.
- Monument waters contain numerous historical and cultural artifacts, and the area is closely linked to native Hawaiian culture.
- Monument Regulations
- Current Weather
- FAQs
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