Cold Water · United States
Seward & Resurrection Bay
Cold-water walls, a Navy barge wreck and giant Pacific octopus
Photo: Jon Gudorf Photography · CC BY-SA 2.0
Resurrection Bay is a sheltered bay on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula, dived from Seward by boat and water taxi. The Navy barge Y-754 lies off Fox Island Spit from 3 to 24 m (10 to 80 ft), Little Mary's Rock near the bay mouth holds a field of plumose anemones at 30 m (100 ft), and the sea wall behind the Alaska SeaLife Center is a shore dive with the occasional giant Pacific octopus. Every site calls for drysuit skills, and the water runs from 2 to 13 °C.
About diving in Seward & Resurrection Bay
Most Resurrection Bay diving is done from boats, moving from one site to the next. Dive Alaska, based in Anchorage a 2.5-hour drive north, is the one operator that makes full arrangements for trips to the sites. Divers going independently bring their own or rented gear and charter a boat or hire a water taxi such as Miller's Landing. The ride out to Fox Island Spit takes around 40 minutes, and the island has no toilets or facilities, so divers carry food, water and exposure protection for the whole stay.
Even close to shore the bay drops away in steep walls. Off Fox Island Spit the ex-Navy barge Y-754, which caught fire, was beached and then pulled back into the sea in 1950, lies parallel to the shore with its stern in 3 m (10 ft) and its bow at about 24 m (80 ft); rockfish, large sea cucumbers and greenling live on it. At Boulder City, boulders form small swim-throughs. Invertebrates dominate, from lion's mane jellyfish to nudibranchs, with Puget Sound king crabs, Dungeness crabs, lingcod, wolf eels in rocky lairs and schooling black rockfish.
Conditions change with the season. Tides average 2 to 4 m (six to twelve feet), and currents are variable and can be strong at times with the big tidal swings. Summer visibility is usually 9–12 m (30–40 ft), rising to 15–24 m (50–80 ft) in winter. The water is coldest in March, at about 3 °C, and warmest in August, at about 13 °C. The Fox Island barge is old and its structure unpredictable, so it is dived from the outside only.
The bay suits drysuit divers comfortable in cold water who can plan their own logistics or book a guided trip from Anchorage. Sites range from beginner to technical level, but the drop-offs close to shore mean newer divers need to watch their depth, and anyone without drysuit training should get it first.
Best time to dive Seward & Resurrection Bay
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair |
Fox Island trips run June to early September. The bay stays ice-free all winter, when visibility is clearer (15–24 m) but the water falls to 2–3 °C.
Dive types & marine life
The sea wall behind the Alaska SeaLife Center holds invertebrates, fish, sea birds, sea lions and the occasional giant Pacific octopus, and night dives there turn up large numbers of shrimp. Steller sea lions and harbor seals are more likely on the bay's western side. Orcas and humpback whales frequent Kenai Fjords National Park, which begins at the bay mouth.
- Wall
- Wreck
- Night
- Muck & macro
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Seals & sea lions
- Nudibranchs
Best dive sites in Seward & Resurrection Bay
- 1
Fox Island Spit (Y-754 barge)
Ex-Navy barge sunk in 1950, 3–24 m (10–80 ft), with rockfish, sea cucumbers and greenling.
- 2
Alaska SeaLife Center sea wall
Shore dive behind the building in downtown Seward; the occasional giant Pacific octopus, shrimp swarms at night.
- 3
Little Mary's Rock
Near the bay mouth, a field of plumose anemones at 30 m (100 ft).
- 4
Kayaker's Cove
Rock structure to 12 m (40 ft), with small invertebrates and greenling.
- 5
Boulder City
Boulders forming small swim-throughs and structure for reef growth.
- 6
Shearwater Cove (The Shackle)
Dived straight off the dock in front of the guest yurts.
Site guides
Wreck
Ex-Navy barge Y-754 sloping from 3 m to 24 m off the spit
Reef
Rock structure to 12 m (40 ft) with greenling and small invertebrates
Field of plumose anemones at 30 m (100 ft) near the bay mouth
How to get to Seward & Resurrection Bay
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport and Kenai Municipal Airport have scheduled commercial service. Seward is a 2.5-hour drive south of Anchorage. From Seward, water taxis and charter boats reach the sites; the ride to Fox Island takes around 40 minutes.
Photos from Seward & Resurrection Bay
Alaskan Dude · CC BY 2.0
bdearth · CC BY 2.0
Questions divers ask
What certification do the Seward dives need?+
Every site calls for drysuit skills. The walls near shore drop steeply and suit experienced divers, so newer divers need to watch their depth, and anyone without drysuit training should get it first.
How do divers get to Fox Island from Seward?+
Divers charter a boat or hire a water taxi, and the ride to Fox Island Spit takes around 40 minutes. The island has no toilets or facilities, so divers carry food, water and exposure protection for the whole stay.
When is visibility best at Seward and Resurrection Bay?+
Summer visibility is usually 9–12 m (30–40 ft), rising to 15–24 m (50–80 ft) in winter, when the water falls to 2–3 °C. Fox Island trips run June to early September.
Can giant Pacific octopus be seen at Seward?+
The sea wall behind the Alaska SeaLife Center is a shore dive with the occasional giant Pacific octopus, and night dives there turn up large numbers of shrimp.
Sources
- Alaska Diving – DiveAlaska — Dive Alaska
- Fox Island Spit, Resurrection Bay, Seward — Dive Alaska
- Shearwater Cove — Dive Alaska
- Kayaker's Cove — Dive Alaska
- Alaska Sealife Center — Dive Alaska
- Guided Diving — Dive Alaska
- Where to Go Scuba Diving in Alaska — Scuba Diving magazine
- Diving Resurrection Bay: The Jewel Of Alaska's Kenai Peninsula — Just Gotta Dive
- Scuba Diving in Anchorage Alaska — Joe's Scuba Shack
- Resurrection Bay — Wikipedia
- Seward, Alaska — Wikipedia
- Seward Water Temperature — Sea Temperatures
Photo credits
- Snow-streaked Mount Mary rising above forested slopes across the calm blue water of Resurrection Bay by Jon Gudorf Photography, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Steller sea lions hauled out on a rock in Resurrection Bay with snowy peaks behind by Alaskan Dude, CC BY 2.0, via Openverse
- Fishing boats moored in Seward harbor below a row of snow-capped mountains by bdearth, CC BY 2.0, via Openverse
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