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USA: Pacific Northwest - The cold, emerald waters of the Pacific Northwest is a real treat for Scuba diving. This region of the website includes the Puget Sound, Hood Canal, the San Juans, and the Oregon and Washington coasts. Divers in the Pacific Northwest are presented a large variety of life, ample dive locations, and dynamic diving opportunities such as walls, bull kelp forests, drift dives and dive parks.
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Featured Site |
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Salt Creek
WA
Type: Saltwater
Difficulty: Snorkling, Intermediate, Advanced
Entry: Difficult Shore Entry
Attractions: Large Rock Formation / Pinnacle, Boulder Pile / Shelves, Kelp Forest
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This is a fantastic dive site, and my favorite in Washington…so far. I grew up on the Monterey Bay in California, and this site is like a slice of home. The main appeal of this site is the rugged rocky reef and the thick Bull kelp forest that grows from summer to early fall. The bottom contour mimics the rocky shore, and comprises shelves, channels, overhangs, and large boulders all covered in sea urchins, kelp, starfish, and other critters. Even though this is a marine sanctuary, the sea life here usually isn’t huge. Some of my favorites are the Kelp Greenlings and Lingcod. If you are brave enough to get really close to the rocky shore ledges where the surge washes over the surf grass covered rocks you might see a Rock Greenling which is a rare but beautiful find. And speaking of surge, we now come to why this is an intermediate to advanced dive. With its close proximity to the open ocean, this site is subject to surge. Though the waves seldom break, they can get quite large and wash the shore violently. Pick your entrance and exit points carefully before you enter since from the water its hard to find a spot to get out. there are three access points. When you first enter the Park, there is one straight ahead to the right of the grassy field. At the west end of the park there are stairs near a kiosk that lead you to tongue point (great tide pools for the kids!). But my favorite access is the stairs next to campsite 63. At the bottom of the stairs hang a right around the protruding rock cliff and you will come to a channel that cuts out through the rocky shelf that makes the shore. Watch the waves for a while to get an idea of the action and plan accordingly. You can surface swim it, but its usually easier to descend right at the start and swim/crawl your way out. Meet back up with your buddies at the big boulder at the end of the channel. From here right or left doesn’t matter, it's all pretty similar. Most of the rock structure ends at 35 feet, but there are some cool random boulders to check out as deep as 65 feet. Once you get out past the kelp and rocks though, you are subject to some pretty stiff currents if not at slack, though it is manageable. Speaking of kelp take a dive knife and realize that it can be a jungle by late summer. Its part of the beauty and part of the fun, but watch your buddy and help with entanglements. Just be careful what you cut with your knife! Hoses look like kelp stalks. If you are an experienced diver, don’t miss this site!
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