How do I dive Santa Barbara Island???

[jen_b]

Hi guys!

So I'm going to be visiting my brother in LA 9/24-10/1, and more than anything I'd love to dive with some sea lions; it's been on my bucket list for the last five years. The problem is that I can't find any boats that are going to the sea lion rookery/ Santa Barbara that week b/c it's lobster seasons or something I guess. So instead I booked a dive going to Anacapa Island; how likely is it that I'd run into sea lions there?

Thanks!
Jen

 

[ScubaNoey]

We went to Anacapa once on the Spectre dive boat out of Ventura Harbor - here is a link to a video my boyfriend and i took.. It's kind of long so fast forward to about 12 minutes to get started and you will see a "few" Sea Lions... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TiilCBSFGU&list=UUqvAc09mzTWAABRPGPTTkzA

 

[AZTinman]

The 'rookery' area on Anacapa can be spectacular if wind & current conditions permit Spectre to get you in there.

BTW... I've had great diving experiences off the Spectre.

-AZTinman

 

[fnfalman]

It's never a guarantee to make it to Santa Barbara Island, and if you can get there the local water condition would dictate which sites you can dive at.

At Anacapa the rookery is on the windward side of the island so while Anacapa is closer to mainland and easier to get to, there is no guarantee that the rookery can be reached either.

However, there are usually some sea lion encounters at many five sites. Though it is awfully fun to be swarmed by sea lion pups.

 

[Buoy_A]

Alternatively, you can dive Coronados Islands off of San Diego (technically Mexico) and have what is, from what I gather, a much more reliable sea lion encounter as the conditions are more predictable. The only boat that I know that goes there often is the Humbolt. Their SCHEDULE shows them going the next two Fridays, although this Friday seems to only have one opening. If I were you and was interested, I'd call them to see what they can do for you.

 

[drbill]

We had sea lions on our recent dives at Ship Rock (Catalina) as well as a possible sighting of a great white there. Unfortunately sea lion sightings here are not guaranteed unless you dive "Seal Rocks" at the East End... and that's a habitat "the landlord" seems to like as well.

 

[SanDiegoSidemount]

+1 for Coronados. The Coronado Islands are a very reliable place to see sea lions, primarily at "Lobster Shack". Waterhorse Charters will get you there on the Humboldt.

As others have mentioned, trips from Ventura / Oxnard to Santa Barbara Island are very weather dependent, and the wind & swell forecast for this coming weekend looks a bit rough. We scheduled a trip there a few Octobers ago on the Peace and ended up having to divert to other Channel Islands because of weather.

 

[Lorenzoid]

+1 for Coronados. The Coronado Islands are a very reliable place to see sea lions, primarily at "Lobster Shack". Waterhorse Charters will get you there on the Humboldt.

Ah, memories. My OW checkout dives were at Lobster Shack.

I can't say I've seen sea lions from a dive, though.

 

[SanDiegoSidemount]

Ah, memories. My OW checkout dives were at Lobster Shack.

I can't say I've seen sea lions from a dive, though.

When I've interacted with them (in pretty big numbers) the sea lions tend to hang out around the shelves & ledges on the northwest side of the site. The OW training area in the middle of the cove, not so much.

 

[jpecht]

I see them pretty frequently while diving Anacapa - I'd say 2 out of every three trips.