Scuba diving in Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa is considered the second largest of the Northern
Channel Islands. It was formed by a volcanic activity. Its
beautiful sandy beaches and rocky terrace are very
attractive. The
vast diversity of fish and aqua life offered
by Santa Rosa is what makes it favorable to many diving
fans. Santa Rosa Colorful rockfish and Kelp forests make an
excellent photographic environment.
Always dive according to your level of training.
Never enter the water without checking with
Santa Rosa dive
centers for safety, additional information, level required
for each dive site and without being accompanied by a
professional.
All the information provided is purely informative for our
readers and shouldn't be used as is to plan your immersion.
Average annual temperature: Between 16°C and 27°C (62° F and
82° F).
Average Water surface temperature: From 13° C to 17° C (55°F
to 64°F).
Visibility often averaging: Visibility is between 20 and 80
feet (6 and 24 meters).
Coldest time: December
Warmest time: August
Possible to dive all year round.
Santa Rosa has a wide diversity of dive sites. Wrecks and
reefs in the area are home to many kinds of underwater
creatures. Santa Rosa's dive sites are excellent for Macro
photography.. You will find sea cucumbers, clam siphons, fringehead blennies, chestnut cowries and feather duster
worms to take shots of. A National Park and a National
Marine Sanctuary provide good environmental conditions to
help maintain the marine life in the area such as calico
bass, juvenile sheephead and lobsters.
Some of Santa Rosa dive sites.
Talcott Shoal is a great intermediate dive site that
provides everything a diver would look for. It is on the
west side of Santa Rosa Island at a depth ranging from 20 to
90 feet (6 to 27 meters) with good visibility from 20 to 40
feet (6 to 12 meters). Its rocky bottom is encrusted with
sponges, sea stars, nudibranchs, and urchins which make it a
great spot for underwater photography. Look for small fish
hiding in among the coralline algae, bigger fish like
sheephead, gopher and grass rockfish. Also you can find
seals and sea lions hunt here along with sevengill sharks
Wreck of the Aggi lies at a depth of 10 to 70 feet (3 to 21
meters). It is located in Talcott Shoal area. Talcott
Shoal's rocky reefs and edges support a huge diversity of
sea life. The Aggi was built in 1894 in Govan, Scotland. The
vessel was 265 feet (81 meters) long and 40 feet (12 meters)
wide. Now the destroyed ship makes a shelter to many kinds
of aqua life like calico bass, perch, lobsters and rockfish.
The site is great for underwater photography for it has such
an impressive reef structure and kelp forest.
South Point is a beginner to intermediate dive site. It is
at a depth ranging from 30 to 80 feet (9 to 24 meters). The
visibility varies according to weather and depth, usually
from 15 to 30 feet (4 to 9 meters). This dive site offers a
wide diversity of diving opportunities. The wide range of
depths, maze of boulders, ledges, caves, and walls all these
make a great environment for new diving experiences. This
site is the habitat for hefty copper and vermilion rockfish,
scallops and lingcod.
Bee Rock is a great site if you are visiting the Island in
winter months; November and December are best times to dive
this reef. The reef suits intermediate divers or better, it
is at a depth ranging from 20 to 80 feet (6 to 24 meters).
The visibility is fair and suits macro photography. The
bottom rocks are covered with sponges, bryozoa and algae.
Sheephead, rockfish, calico bass and lobsters inhabit this
area.
Goldenhorn is a wreck dive site. The vessel sank in l892 and
wrecked on offshore rocks. Great parts of the wreck still
remain till now. The greater part is an 83 foot (25 meters)
section of bottom hull. It is home to many kinds of aqua
life.
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