Dive-site story
Located along the western shoreline of Hood Canal, Octopus Hole is one of Washington State's oldest protected marine reserves. Divers navigate a rocky shore entry over cobbles before descending along a gently sloping bottom that transitions into boulder fields and rock crevices. Because harvesting has been prohibited here for decades, local marine life shows remarkable tolerance toward divers.
Protected marine reserve hosting habituated resident wolf eels
Abundant giant Pacific octopus dens tucked beneath glacial boulders
Dense walls of plumose anemones carpeting rocky outcrops
Location
Use the map to plan with your operator and confirm the exact entry point on the day.
Seasonality
Late autumn and winter months offer the clearest water due to reduced plankton activity and runoff.
Marine life
| Species | Likelihood | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giant Pacific OctopusEnteroctopus dofleini | Common | ||||||||||||
| Wolf EelAnarrhichthys ocellatus | Common | ||||||||||||
| Grunt SculpinRhamphocottus richardsonii | Common | ||||||||||||
| Plumose AnemoneMetridium farcimen | Common | ||||||||||||
| LingcodOphiodon elongatus | Common |
Marine forecast
