Point Loma Kelp Beds

Point Loma Kelp Beds lie off the Point Loma peninsula on the western edge of San Diego, California, marking the edge of one of the largest kelp forests along the Southern California coast. The site sits over a reef bottom and reaches a maximum depth of around 18.3 metres, with divers moving through towering giant kelp and rocky terrain along the point. Garibaldi, spiny lobster, sea lions, and rockfish are commonly encountered here, and divers have also reported nudibranchs on the reef. Surface conditions and surge near the point can pick up with swell and season, and the site is generally rated advanced. Many local operators run boat trips out to the kelp beds from San Diego, and it remains a popular draw for divers and underwater photographers alike.

Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.

• NudibranchNudibranchReported here · unconfirmed
• Red Sea UrchinMesocentrotus franciscanusReported here · unconfirmed
• Kelp BassParalabrax clathratusReported here · unconfirmed
• Pacific Purple Sea UrchinStrongylocentrotus purpuratusReported here · unconfirmed
• Sunburst AnemoneAnthopleura solaReported here · unconfirmed
• California SheepheadBodianus pulcherReported here · unconfirmed
• Striped Shore CrabPachygrapsus crassipesReported here · unconfirmed