Sares Head  |  USA: Pacific Northwest

Wall, Large Rock Formation / Pinnacle, Boulder Pile / Shelves, Kelp Forest

Sares Head is a dynamic wall dive near the entrance to Deception Pass offering sheer drops, overhangs and caverns, covered in c basket stars, cucumbers, scallops and all sorts of other colorful invertebrates. The vertical drop is deeper the farther north you go. Toward the south you will reach sand about 100ft deep and it begins to ascend in stair-stepping ledges to about 40ft and scattered large boulders up to the surface from there. Dense bull kelp grows in the shallows during summer months.

Beware of currents and dive at slack before a small exchange. You may find slack before ebb more forgiving but care needs to be taken regardless. There is no sure anchorage due to depth and rocky substrate. Beware of boat traffic and surface next to the wall for safety.

Sares Head sits on Fidalgo Island below a large rocky bluff dropping nearly vertically into the water in Rosario Straight, 1 1/2 miles northwest of Deception Pass. It can be easily reached be kayak from Rosario by paddling about 1000 yards inside NW Island and along the rocky shoreline to the highest point on the bluff.

From Sares Head you are in the immediate vicinity of Northwest Island and Urchin Rocks, both offering some protection to currents and make a good follow-up dive or back-up plan.