Avalon, California, United States
Casino Point Underwater Park sits beneath the iconic Avalon Casino building on Catalina Island and was established in 1965 as the first underwater park in California. Boat traffic is banned inside the marked boundary, which makes it the safest and most accessible shore dive in the Channel Islands. Entry is from a concrete platform with handrails and stairs into the water. The bottom is a kelp-covered rocky reef from 5 metres at the swim platform down to 24 metres on the outer mooring boundary. Several small artificial reefs and a few small wrecks (including the Suej, the Kismet and the Glassbottom Boat) are scattered across the park. The site is a known summer station for giant black sea bass (Stereolepis gigas), federally protected and reaching 2 metres in length. Other species: garibaldi, kelp bass, sheephead, blue and olive rockfish, sea cucumbers, and large California spiny lobsters that emerge at night. Visibility is best in late summer and fall, often above 18 m.
Information on this page, including technical data such as depth, current, visibility, access, and recommended level, is informational and may vary. Confirm actual conditions with a local operator before the dive.
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