Bird Rock - Catalina Island

Bird Rock is one of Catalina Island's most distinctive and consistently productive dive sites — a dramatic surface rock formation off the island's east end that descends into a rich kelp forest and rocky reef environment beloved by Southern California divers for generations. The rock itself is a significant navigational landmark visible from considerable distance, and its underwater skirt of boulders, reef structure, and kelp extends outward from its base in all directions, creating multiple dive zones with varying character and depth. The site is accessible by boat from Long Beach, San Pedro, or Newport Beach via the regular dive charter fleet, or from the island itself via Avalon-based operators. Depths range from the surface down to about 60 feet on the deeper reef slopes, with the most productive diving occurring in the 20-to-45-foot zone where kelp density is greatest and reef complexity is highest. The garibaldi are abundant and characterful at Bird Rock — the brilliant orange fish seem particularly bold at this site, investigating cameras and hovering close to divers with curiosity. California sheephead cruise the reef with their bulky, parti-colored bodies: mature males with black-and-red coloration and pronounced facial profiles, females in salmon pink. Kelp bass inhabit the canopy in numbers, their predatory pauses betrayed by slight body tension before a dart at passing prey. Varieties of rockfish occupy different depth zones: blue rockfish schooling in the mid-water, while deeper-dwelling varieties press against the reef below the kelp fringe. Spiny lobster are present throughout, tucked into reef crevices and boulder caves. On the sandy margins surrounding the rock, bat rays glide and halibut lie flush with the bottom. The kelp forest itself is the site's crowning feature — sunlight filtering through the forest canopy in rays of gold, creating an underwater cathedral experience that never loses its power regardless of how many times you've dived Catalina.