Channel Islands
United States · California
California's Channel Islands National Park offers kelp forest diving — bull kelp cathedrals, garibaldi (the state fish), giant black sea bass, sea lions, and the occasional white shark passing through. Cold-water diving with personality.
How this reef is doing
ⓘ How we measure thisReef state
Protection drove a clear recovery here: biomass of fished species climbed about 3.7 times faster inside the reserve network than outside through 2012 (Caselle et al. 2015). More recent surveys show that gain has not held under warming, so the reef reads Stable rather than Improving.
Coral cover
Fish life
Heat
Warmer than usual right now, but not hot enough to bleach.
Fishing
Protected on paper, but boats are still busy nearby.
Sources · MERMAID and partner coral surveys · NOAA Coral Reef Watch · Global Fishing Watch and reef gravity
Fish abundance
Fish seen per survey
Across 18 years of REEF volunteer surveys around Northern Channel Islands, divers have recorded a steady amount of fish per survey. This tracks fish life, standardised for survey effort, so we keep it separate from the coral read above.
Fish abundance over time
| Year | Density index | Surveys |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 2.32 | 30 |
| 1998 | 2.30 | 28 |
| 2000 | 2.27 | 24 |
| 2003 | 2.29 | 27 |
| 2004 | 2.16 | 43 |
| 2006 | 2.32 | 50 |
| 2007 | 2.31 | 43 |
| 2008 | 2.23 | 40 |
| 2009 | 2.26 | 10 |
| 2010 | 2.22 | 12 |
| 2011 | 2.36 | 20 |
| 2012 | 2.38 | 34 |
| 2014 | 2.43 | 34 |
| 2015 | 2.34 | 25 |
| 2016 | 2.32 | 33 |
| 2017 | 2.23 | 17 |
| 2018 | 2.42 | 19 |
| 2019 | 2.51 | 12 |
What you will see
16 species across the dive sites here
California sea lion
Seen 6 days ago
at Cathedral Cove
Least concern
Northern elephant seal
Seen 6 days ago
at San Miguel Island
Least concern
Giant kelp
Seen 8 days ago
at Cathedral Cove
California sheephead
Seen 15 days ago
at Cathedral Cove
Garibaldi
Seen 15 days ago
at Cathedral Cove
Least concern
Bat ray
Seen 18 days ago
at Cathedral Cove
Moray eel
Seen 1 month ago
at Cathedral Cove
Least concern
Horn shark
Seen 1 month ago
at Cathedral Cove
Least concern
Lingcod
Seen 2 months ago
at San Miguel Island
California spiny lobster
Seen 2 months ago
at Gull Island
Least concern
Giant sea bass
Seen 10 months ago
at Cathedral Cove
Critically endangered
California hydrocoral
Seen Jan 2024
at Gull Island
Harbor seal
Seen year round
at San Miguel Island
Least concern
Steller sea lion
Seen year round
at San Miguel Island
Near threatened
Wolf eel
Seen year round
at San Miguel Island
Least concern
Northern fur seal
Seasonal visitor
at San Miguel Island
Vulnerable
Dive sites
What divers say
Floating through a kelp cathedral with sea lions zipping past — California gives you something the tropics can't.
Good to know
Water temp
7mm + hooded vest minimum; drysuit common.