Ship Rock
Conditions & tides
Scored by DiveConnect's site-physics model
Marine forecast via Copernicus Marine. Score is a rule-based guide from swell/wind vs. the site's exposure — always dive your own assessment.
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About this site
Ship Rock is a large rock pinnacle breaking the surface off Santa Catalina Island in Southern California, reached by boat and popular for its kelp-covered rock formation with walls and swim-throughs along its flanks. The verified maximum depth here is around 15 metres over a rocky bottom, and it is rated a beginner dive. Divers typically encounter California kelp forest life including garibaldi, kelp bass, and various rockfish, with occasional pelagics passing through the surrounding channel. Conditions can shift with weather and season given the site's exposed offshore position, though the depth range keeps it accessible to less experienced divers.
AI overviewMarine life here
Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.
Kelp BassParalabrax clathratusReported here · unconfirmed
Blacksmith ChromisChromis punctipinnisReported here · unconfirmed
California SheepheadBodianus pulcherReported here · unconfirmed
Rock WrasseHalichoeres semicinctusReported here · unconfirmed
GaribaldiHypsypops rubicundusReported here · unconfirmed
Crowned sea urchinCentrostephanus coronatusReported here · unconfirmed
Durable tips from divers — access, hazards, marine life, facilities. For day-of conditions, use the report tool in the conditions card above.
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