Diving in Puget Trough/Georgia Basin
Quick Facts
- • Entry types: Mostly shore entries
- • Expect: Varies by conditions visibility
- • Highlights: Discover Puget Trough/Georgia Basin's dive spots
Explore the underwater wonders of Puget Trough/Georgia Basin, ecoregion. This region features 23 documented dive spots, each offering unique underwater experiences. Whether you're seeking calm snorkeling bays, challenging freediving depths, or exciting scuba adventures, Puget Trough/Georgia Basin has something for every underwater explorer. Browse detailed spot information, check current conditions from recent dive logs, and connect with the local diving community to make the most of your visit.
Regional Context
🏛️ Marine Hierarchy
🌍 Associated Countries
Countries in Puget Trough/Georgia Basin (2)
Popular Spots in Puget Trough/Georgia Basin (23)
Am/Pm Beach
Am/Pm Beach is situated in Sudden Valley, a community near Bellingham. The site offers easy shore entry and is accessible during daylight hours, although it may close due to environmental concerns such as flooding. Seasonal bathroom facilities are available. The area provides excellent views from the surface, and during the late summer months, the water is abundant with fish, particularly bass, which can be found in large numbers. Crayfish can also be spotted hiding under logs in the vicinity.
Arachne Reef
Arachne Reef is located between Swartz Bay and Turn Point Lighthouse on the British Columbia coast. This site is characterized by moderate to heavy currents, making it suitable for advanced divers. The underwater environment is home to a variety of cold water Pacific marine species, including anemones, tube worms, ling cod, crabs, abalone, urchins, and cabezon. Divers can expect to encounter a diverse marine ecosystem while exploring the reef's features.
Arbutus Point
Arbutus Point is located north of Piers Island and slightly to the west. This site is classified as advanced due to the cold water temperatures and the possibility of strong currents. Divers can expect to encounter a variety of typical cold water Pacific marine life, including anemones, tube worms, ling cod, crabs, abalone, urchins, and cabezon. The entry to the dive site is from the shore.
Boeing Dock
The Boeing Dock is a large railroad pier accessible from Edgewater Beach Park. The end of the dock reaches a depth of approximately 70 feet and is home to various crabs and fish. Be cautious of boat traffic and the barge that operates in the area.
Charlotte Wreckeck
The Charlotte Wreckeck is the remains of a timber tugboat that sank on Halloween night in 1975. Divers can access the site via a shore entry across a non-active railroad track. The wreck is located just beyond the pilings, beginning at a depth of approximately 35 feet. The hull lies on its side, and the surrounding area features a silty bottom. Marine life commonly observed here includes crayfish, bass, and various other freshwater fish. Parking is limited to about two vehicles at the site.
Columbia River Canyon
Columbia River Canyon is an advanced drift dive characterized by moderate visibility. Despite the presence of bright daylight, the underwater environment remains dark, making the use of a dive light essential. Divers should be cautious of boat traffic from the nearby marina. The exit point for divers is located near the base of the 182 bridge. Common marine life includes juvenile channel catfish and white sturgeon, while the shallower areas may host bass, shad, walleye, and carp.
Domville Island
Domville Island is an advanced dive site with depths reaching up to 110 feet. The dive is typically conducted as a drift dive, starting from one of the island's protected coves, either on the northern or southern side. Divers will enter the water and swim out into the current once they are prepared. The marine life commonly observed here includes various cold water Pacific species such as anemones, tube worms, ling cod, crabs, abalone, urchins, and cabezon.
Edmonds Underwater Park
Edmonds Underwater Park is a designated marine protected area located in the Puget Sound region of the Salish Sea, established in 1970. It operates as a no-take zone, ensuring the preservation of its marine life. The site is frequented by divers, with over 25,000 visits recorded, making it a prominent dive location in the Pacific Northwest. Safety measures include 2.5 miles of underwater trails marked by rope and block guides, along with signage for navigation. Buoys are placed to delineate the park's boundaries and keep boats away from the dive area.
Forge Fitness
Forge Fitness is a private indoor facility located 25 minutes north of Bellingham. It features a large 25-meter pool with four lanes and a deep end, maintained at a warm temperature of 82°F. The site includes clean showers and changing rooms for convenience, with parking available directly next to the pool entrance. As an indoor location, typical marine life such as hairbalfloatamoungus and bandaidfloatbyeus are rarely observed here.
Grey rocks
Nice easy sandy entry, rocky around the island with a wall at the far end. 20-30ft deep at wall, depending on tide. Saw many stars, crabs, cucumbers and plumose anemones.
Lake Chelan Monument
Lake Chelan Monument features a deep wall dive that descends to approximately 38 meters, where divers can discover a decaying car from the 1950s at around 38 meters. Access to the site is via a wooden ladder leading into the water, located 1.8 miles south of the Lake Chelan State Park entrance. A bottle line is present to guide divers to the car. The site is home to various fish species, including Steelhead, Walleye, and Smallmouth Bass. Divers should be prepared for low visibility conditions, even during bright days, and it is advisable to bring a dive light for better exploration.
Lake Chelan State Park
Lake Chelan State Park offers a shore diving experience with easy access for divers. The site is suitable for refresher or training dives, featuring a sandy bottom that minimizes silt disturbance. Visibility is typically excellent, often exceeding 50 feet, making it a favorable location for underwater exploration. During the summer, divers can benefit from nearby amenities and convenient parking options.
Lake Whatcom
Lake Whatcom offers various entry points for divers, with the bottom sediment remaining relatively undisturbed unless stirred up by activity. The lake features both shallow areas and deeper sections, providing a range of diving experiences. Marine life includes freshwater clams, crayfish, largemouth and smallmouth bass, and trout. Divers may also encounter unusual finds such as golf balls, dog toys, and even a jar of pickled pigs feet.
Mukilteo T-Dock
Mukilteo T-Dock is a shore dive site with a maximum depth of 125 feet and features such as a 30-foot tall Geodome located at 50 feet. Divers can encounter marine life including wolf eels, giant Pacific octopus, crabs, and various fish. The site is accessible from the parking lot next to the Silver Cloud Inn.
Race Rocks
Race Rocks is located at the southwestern tip of Vancouver Island and is characterized as an advanced dive site due to its cold water temperatures and the presence of moderate to heavy currents. Divers can expect to encounter a variety of typical cold water Pacific marine life, including anemones, tube worms, ling cod, crabs, abalone, urchins, and cabezon. The dive site is accessible only by boat.
Richland Howard Amon Park
Richland Howard Amon Park offers a drift dive experience in the heart of Richland. Divers begin by swimming straight out from the shore until they encounter a current. The dive proceeds downstream to a 2-inch steel cable, which serves as a guide for the return journey towards the shore. At approximately 15 feet, divers can find a back eddy that allows them to be carried back to the starting point. The site is home to various fish species, including large and small bass, walleye, and carp. Crawfish are abundant, and divers may attract bass by locating them during the dive.
Sheep Island
Sheep Island is a wall dive that descends to depths of several hundred feet, making it suitable for advanced divers. The site is influenced by strong currents and nutrient upwellings, which support a diverse marine ecosystem. Divers can expect to see a variety of marine life, including anemones, scallops, crabs, greenlings, ling cod, sculpins, gunnels, urchins, and jellyfish. Entry to the site is from the shore.
Speedboat - Columbia
The Speedboat dive site is located on a river and is classified as a moderate advanced dive. The highlight of this dive is the remains of an old piston-driven speedboat that sank years ago. Only parts of the vessel remain, notably the large engine and the bright chrome exhaust headers. Diving conditions can vary significantly depending on the season and water flow. Common aquatic life in this area includes bass, carp, catfish, walleye, and crawfish.
Swordfish Island
Swordfish Island is an advanced dive site characterized by cold water and moderate to heavy currents. Access to this location is via boat. Divers can expect to encounter a variety of typical cold water Pacific marine life, including anemones, tube worms, ling cod, crabs, abalone, urchins, and cabezon.
The Jetty
The Jetty is a shore entry dive site located at coordinates 46.271500, -119.267100, marking the exit point for a drift dive in the Columbia River. Divers typically start at Howard Amon Park, near the Scuba Dive Park. The dive's quality is influenced by factors such as river flow, turbidity, temperature, and boat traffic. The average maximum depth at this site reaches 45 feet. Depending on the season, divers may encounter a variety of aquatic life including Crayfish, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Sturgeon, Carp, Channel Catfish, Salmon, American Shad, and Freshwater Sponges.
Titan I Missile Silo
The Titan I Missile Silo offers a unique diving experience in a historical setting. Divers can explore the submerged remnants of the control room, missile silos, and equipment terminal within the silo structure. Access to this site is strictly regulated and must be arranged through UnderSea Adventures, as the facility is located on private property and is secured. It is essential to have a guide from the dive center to enter the area safely.
UnderSea Adventures Training Pool
The UnderSea Adventures Training Pool, located in Kennewick, WA, serves as a dedicated facility for scuba training. Access to the pool must be arranged in advance through the Dive Shop unless you are enrolled in a scheduled scuba class. The pool measures 20 by 48 feet and features varying depths of 1 foot, 4 feet, and 12 feet. Water temperatures in the pool can fluctuate, reaching up to 90ºF during the summer months and dropping to 60ºF in winter.
Whytecliff park
Popular scuba spot as it is a marine preserve. Lots of life - many crab and starfish species, lots of little fish, rock fish, a seal colony, California sea lions in June, sea cucumbers etc. Vis is often bad in the bay in the summer, but better out along the rocks. There is another dive site entry around the other end of the peninsula, and if the currents cooperate you can do a nice little drift between the two entry/points. There's a nice little coffee shop with treats too...