Port Aransas & Corpus Christi · United States · Artificial reef
Packery Channel Jetties
Hundreds of sea turtles on the granite boulders in summer
Packery Channel Jetties are a small pair of granite boulder jetties named for the beef packing plants that stood here in the 1870s. The water near the end of the jetty is only 3 to 5 m (10 to 15 ft) deep, and in summer the boulders hold hundreds of sea turtles, which makes this a favourite Corpus Christi spot for diving with them.
Where it is and how deep
27.6142° N, 97.2003° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The dive is a shallow one along the large granite boulders of the jetties. Near the end of the jetty the depth is only around 3 to 5 m (10 to 15 ft), so the whole dive stays in the top few metres. Diving is done on the outsides of the jetties, not in the channel itself, because the channel is shallow and carries boat traffic. The jetties themselves are small, which keeps the route short.
Summer is the season to dive here, when hundreds of sea turtles use the boulders. Current and visibility are often an issue, so a day with slack water and clearer conditions makes the difference between a turtle dive and a murky swim. Fishermen often crowd the jetties, which adds to the difficulty on so small a site.
Marine life and season
- Sea turtles
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair | Off-season |
Season follows Port Aransas & Corpus Christi: Diving runs from late spring to late autumn and peaks in summer; winter and early spring rarely suit offshore trips, and sea conditions change from day to day.
Know before you go
- Large numbers of fishermen often use the small jetties; divers stay clear of their lines and hooks.
- Current is often an issue near the end of the jetty, even in 3 to 5 m (10 to 15 ft) of water.
- Boat traffic uses Packery Channel; divers keep to the outsides of the jetties and stay out of the channel.
Dive videos
Scuba Diving Corpus Christi Texas with Sea Turtles at Packery Channel Jetties · Transformation Scuba on YouTube
Questions divers ask
When are sea turtles at the Packery Channel Jetties?+
Hundreds of sea turtles use the granite boulders of the jetties in summer.
How deep are the Packery Channel Jetties?+
The depth is around 3 to 5 m (10 to 15 ft) near the end of the jetty.
Sources
- Local Diving — Copeland's Inc.
- Where to Dive in Corpus Christi — Transformation Scuba
- South Jetty (way 341142742) — OpenStreetMap
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