Seward & Resurrection Bay · United States · Reef
Little Mary's Rock
Field of plumose anemones at 30 m (100 ft) near the bay mouth
Area photo: Jon Gudorf Photography · CC BY-SA 2.0
Little Mary's Rock sits near the mouth of Resurrection Bay and is known for a field of plumose anemones that blooms at about 30 m (100 ft). It is a charter-boat dive from Seward, suited to divers who are comfortable at depth in cold water.
Also known as Mary's Rock.
Where it is and how deep
59.8855° N, 149.3019° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The rock lies near the mouth of Resurrection Bay and is reached by boat from Seward. Its main feature is a field of plumose anemones at about 30 m (100 ft), and that field sets the shape of the dive: the anemones are the reason to come, and reaching them means a deep descent in cold water with the bottom time that depth allows.
Currents in Resurrection Bay are variable and can be strong with the big tidal swings, so the dive is best planned around the tide. Summer visibility in the bay is usually 9–12 m (30–40 ft), clearing to 15–24 m (50–80 ft) in winter, when the water drops to 2–3 °C. A dive to 30 m in these conditions calls for careful gas and thermal planning.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Seward & Resurrection Bay: 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.
Know before you go
- The anemone field lies at about 30 m (100 ft) in cold water; plan gas, no-stop time and drysuit buoyancy before descending.
- Currents in the bay are variable and can be strong with large tidal swings; plan the dive around the tide.
Dive videos
Mary's Rock dive 10-6-13 · Brian Hutchison on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is Little Mary's Rock?+
The field of plumose anemones that the site is known for lies at about 30 m (100 ft), so this is a deep dive for experienced cold-water divers.
Sources
- Where to go scuba diving in Alaska — Scuba Diving magazine
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