Rosario Beach

The Western beach is an easy dive if you'd just like to explore the point. Be especially careful of the currents here. Unlike the Eastern beach, there is no bay to protect you. There is a beach to dive on either side of the point. This is the beach to the East, and is actually more interesting with a greater variety of dive spots.

Dove Rosario twice on 2 Aug, both at low tide. Visibility on both dives was about 5'. We went around Urchin Rock on both dives. Tons and tons of different kinds of algae along with seaweed. There were spots 3' deep. Never saw any oto but there was plenty of proof that they were there. Lost of sea cucumbers and yellow rock fish. Easy entry but the climb up to car required a break before the hill. Got a refill of air in Anacortes...and did two more on Sunday. Not much changed from the 2nd.

We dove Rosario twice this weekend, both at low tide. Visibility on the first dive was about 5 ft, 2nd dive was 15 feet. Best to dive at slack before an ebb for visibility, I have heard. Around Urchin Rocks (right entry mentioned on this site) it is fairly protected. Amazing amounts of many kinds of algae.

This is a great dive site, except for the hike. There is plenty of sea life and a fairly large octopus at 35'. Vis was about 20'.

Cool place, but a pain to get all your equipment to the dive site. We brought an equipment cart, and it was still a long haul. But once you get out into the water, it is all worth it. Saw my first Wolf Eel! I hadn't been diving in Washington before, so this was a good intro. I'm looking forward to going back for a longer dive vacation.

Decent dive, very shallow, the vis is really bad after any storm, dive at high slack only. Snorkel at low slack for the best life. I don't recommend the swim to NW island, it is further than it looks and there can be lots of current. If you have a boat it does make a really nice dive, much better than the shore dive.

Please,please,please - check your currents. This dive can be many things. A snorkeler can enjoy the reef around the opening of the bay. A beginning or intermediate diver can enjoy the region around the west end of the head. Advanced divers who are willing to swim can experience the wall off the west end of Northwest Island. What you will see depends greatly on the weather. The western exposure causes severe storm damage. Hit it when the conditions are right and you can see anything that exists in Northwest waters. My last time through there on my boat I saw harbor seals, Dall's porpoise, and a pod of Orca.

Please,please,please - check your currents. This dive can be many things. A snorkeler can enjoy the reef around the opening of the bay. A beginning or intermediate diver can enjoy the region around the west end of the head. Advanced divers who are willing to swim can experience the wall off the west end of Northwest Island. What you will see depends greatly on the weather. The western exposure causes severe storm damage. Hit it when the conditions are right and you can see anything that exists in Northwest waters. My last time through there on my boat I saw harbor seals, Dall's porpoise, and a pod of Orca.