Santa Cruz Island

Location Details

City: Santa Barbara

County: Santa Barbara

State: Ca

Zip Code:

Address:

Latitude: , Longitude:

Restrooms: No

Other Notes: Santa Cruz Island, the largest of California's Channel Islands, offers excellent scuba diving opportunities due to its diverse marine life and unique underwater landscapes. The island's location on the transition zone between warm and cool currents creates a rich ecosystem, while its many coves and anchorages provide protected areas for diving.
Here's why Santa Cruz Island is a great scuba diving destination:
Diverse Underwater Habitats:
Santa Cruz Island boasts a variety of dive sites, including sandy bays, rocky reefs, kelp forests, and mini walls, all teeming with life.
Abundant Marine Life:
Divers can encounter a wide array of species, such as California sheephead, lobsters, sea stars, and various fish, including schools of white sea bass and yellowtail.
Kelp Forests:
The island's kelp forests, particularly those along Yellow Banks, provide a unique and immersive diving experience, with depths ranging from shallow nearshore areas to deeper spots with bullwhip kelp.
Underwater Caves and Caverns:
Santa Cruz Island is also known for its extensive system of underwater caves and caverns, including the famous Painted Cave, one of the deepest sea caves in the world.
Wreck Diving:
The island is home to two wrecks, the Spirit of America and a WWII Navy plane, offering unique wreck diving opportunities.
Protected Coves:
Many coves and anchorages on Santa Cruz Island offer shelter from wind and weather, making for calmer and more accessible dive sites.

When to Go:
Each season has its own character, unique weather and wildlife viewing opportunities, but many people recommend visiting in the early fall for warm weather, calm winds and seas, and optimal underwater visibility.

Average water temperatures are in the mid-60s°F (15°C), with lows in the low-to-mid 50s°F (10°C) in winter. Visibility ranges from 40-60 feet (12-18 meters) in winter and can drop to 15 feet or less in the spring when plankton blooms are prevalent. Visibility is at its peak around 60-90 feet (18-27 meters) in late summer and fall.

January: Northern elephant seal and pacific harbor seal pupping and breeding season on San Miguel Island continues through February. On Anacapa and Santa Barbara islands, California brown pelicans begin nesting through the month of February.

February: Gray whales can be seen traveling both southbound and northbound through the Channel Islands. Pacific harbor seal pupping season on San Miguel Island continues.

June: One of the best months to see whales. Gray whales migrate north to feeding grounds in Alaska through Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary from calving grounds in Baja California, Mexico. Blue whales, fin whales and sei whales arrive in the Channel Islands to feed on krill from the nutrient-rich, upwelled water (late-May through September). Humpback whales feed in the rich, upwelled waters of Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary from May through August.

July: In Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, fog diminishes near midsummer and underwater visibility increases.

August: Jellies of all kinds are abundant in California coastal waters as the oceanic season begins and upwelling winds start to relax (August through November). Calm winds and seas become more frequent near the end of summer.

October: Warm weather, calm winds and calm seas are common during the early fall months. This is the best time of year for snorkeling, kayaking and diving. Underwater visibility can reach 100 feet.

November: Temperatures begin to cool the Channel Islands. Winter storms often roar through the area.

December: Elephant seal pupping season on San Miguel Island begins.

According to legend, Santa Cruz Island was named for a priest's staff accidentally left on the island during the Portola expedition of 1769. A Chumash Indian found the cross-tipped stave and returned it to the priest. The Spaniards were so impressed that they called this island of friendly people "La Isla de Santa Cruz," the Island of the Sacred Cross. Today the protection and preservation of Santa Cruz Island is divided between The Nature Conservancy and the National Park Service. The Nature Conservancy owns and manages the western 76 percent of the island, while the eastern 24 percent is owned and managed by the National Park Service.