BEST SNORKELING IN SAN DIEGO (AREAS)
La Jolla, Mission Bay, Point Loma, and Coronado Islands (in Mexico)
SAN DIEGO SNORKELING SEASON
Snorkeable Months: Year-round
Best Conditions: Fall & Winter
SAN DIEGO SNORKELING TOURS
Boat Snorkeling: All snorkeling areas
Shore Snorkeling: La Jolla only
SAN DIEGO SNORKELING PRICES
Boat Snorkeling: avg. $83 - $207
Shore Snorkeling: free - $160
SAN DIEGO SNORKELING VISIBILITY
Imperial: 5 to 80 ft (avg: 20 ft)
Metric: 1 to 24 m (avg: 6 m)
SAN DIEGO WATER TEMPERATURE
Imperial: 58° to 70°F
Metric: 14° to 21°C
EXPOSURE PROTECTION
Summer: 5mm wetsuit
Winter: 7mm wetsuit (hood recommended)
SAN DIEGO MARINE LIFE
- Leopard, sevengill, horn, tope sharks
- Stingray, bat ray, guitarfish
- Halfmoon, blacksmith
- Garibaldi, sheephead
- California spiny lobster
- Giant spinned sea star
- Sea lion, harbor seal
- Green sea turtle
- Giant sea bass
SAN DIEGO SNORKELING CHARTERS
Snorkeling in San Diego
Despite visibility and water temperature being on the lower scale when compared to tropical destinations, snorkeling in San Diego packs the whole punch of cold-water snorkeling.
When snorkeling in San Diego, you'll have the chance to encounter:
- Sea Lions: a day trip to Coronado Islands' local rookery
- Sharks: leopard sharks are guaranteed in the summer months
- Rays: in La Jolla and Mission Bay, common in the summer
- Sea Turtles: although rare, they inhabit La Jolla year round
Video by Justin MacRae
Snorkeling Conditions
Photo by Frankie Grant
Photo by Frankie Grant
Visibility
This is what you can expect from San Diego snorkeling visibility:
- Average: 20 to 30 ft
- Best: 50 ft+ locally & 100 ft+ Coronado Islands (fall/winter)
- Worst: 5 ft (usually during algae blooms)*
Water Temperature
San Diego cold waters are nutrient rich, which helps kelp forests and cold-water species like sea lions and some shark species to flourish.
Surface temperatures vary with the seasons and range between:
- May - October: 62° to 70°F
- November - April: 58° to 61°F
Coronado Islands, a day trip to Mexico away, tend to have 1 to 3°F higher surface and bottom temperatures. Every bit counts!
Exposure Protection
If you plan to snorkel in San Diego, exposure protection is a must.
We recommend wearing a full 5mm wetsuit during the summer and a full 7mm wetsuit and a hood in the winter. If you don't have your own gear, keep on reading for some San Diego snorkel gear rental recommendations.
Snorkeling conditions here change hourly. We keep a running Conditions Report spreadsheet to better forecast future visibility for our boat charters.
Marine Life
Photo by Frankie Grant
San Diego’s rugged topography and its Marine Protected Areas create the perfect home for creatures unique to the Pacific Coast.
Although you can’t expect to see every creature on your first snorkel tour, there’s a good chance of finding kelp bass, sheephead, garibaldi, and blacksmiths almost every time you get in the water!
For those either lucky enough or patient enough, you may find giant sea bass, horn sharks, green sea turtles, sevengill sharks, sea lions or our curious harbor seals.
Snorkeling Access
Photo by Frankie Grant
All San Diego snorkeling spots are public access. Some are easy to access, some require a strenuous workout, and some are only accessible by boat. See our next section for details on all snorkeling spots in San Diego.
If you've never snorkeled before, we highly recommend joining a snorkel charter or a guided snorkel tour so you can easily find entry points and species of interest.
We (Waterhorse Charters) are the only commercial boat running snorkel charters in San Diego and to the Coronado Islands.
San Diego Snorkeling Spots
The San Diego snorkeling map above includes our selection of best San Diego snorkeling spots dive sites from La Jolla, Point Loma, Mission Bay, and Coronado Islands.
Green icons represent easy-to-access spots, red icons represent spots that require a strenuous workout, and blue icons represent spots accessible only by boat.
La Jolla Shores
- Level: All levels
- Formation: Sandy Flats
- Highlight: Leopard Sharks, Rays
- Access: Boat & Shore
Marine Room
- Level: Advanced
- Formation: Rocky Reef
- Highlight: Abundant Fish
- Access: Boat & Shore
TURTLE TOWN
- Level:Advanced
- Formation: Rocky Reef
- Highlight: Sea Turtles
- Access: Boat & Shore (strenuous)
DEVIL'S SLIDE REEF
- Level: Advanced
- Formation: Rocky Reef
- Highlight: Horn Sharks
- Access: Boat & Shore (strenuous)
La Jolla Sea Caves
- Level: All levels
- Formation: Sea Caves
- Highlight: Lighting Contrast
- Access: Boat & Shore (strenuous)
La Jolla Cove
- Level: All levels
- Formation: Rocky Reef
- Highlight: Easiest Access
- Access: Boat & Shore
Boomer's Kelp Beds
- Level:Advanced
- Formation: Kelp Forest
- Highlight: Sea Lion Colony
- Access: Boat & Shore (strenuous)
Bird Rock
- Level:Advanced
- Formation: Kelp Forest
- Highlight: Giant Sea Bass
- Access: Boat & Shore (strenuous)
Mission Point Park
- Level:Advanced
- Formation: Rocky Reef
- Highlight: Always Calm
- Access: Boat & Shore
Sunset Cliffs
- Level: Advanced
- Formation: Kelp Forest
- Highlight: Dramatic Seascape
- Access: Boat & Shore (strenuous)
Lobster Shack
- Level: All levels
- Formation: Rocky Reef
- Highlight: Sea Lion Colony
- Access: Boat
Middle Grounds
- Level: All levels
- Formation: Rocky Reef
- Highlight: Harbor Seals
- Access: Boat
Keyhole
- Level: All levels
- Formation: Rocky Reef
- Highlight: Underwater Archway
- Access: Boat
Snorkeling Businesses
San Diego has one snorkeling charter company, two kayak and snorkel companies, and a number of companies offering snorkeling tours and rentals. Here's a list of all San Diego snorkeling businesses and all the services they offer:
WATERHORSE CHARTERS
(yours truly 😀)
- Boat snorkel tours
- Snorkel gear rental (boat only)
Everyday California
- Shore snorkel tours
- Kayak snorkel tours
- Snorkel gear rental
La Jolla Kayak
- Shore snorkel tours
- Kayak snorkel tours
- Snorkel gear rental
ZACH SCUBA SHACK
- Shore snorkel tours
LA JOLLA WATERSPORTS
- Shore snorkel tours
- Snorkel gear rental
DIVE IN SCUBA
- Shore snorkel tours
SAN DIEGO SCUBA GUIDE
- Shore snorkel tours
Scuba Diver Girls
- Shore snorkel tours
Scuba Diving San Diego
- Shore snorkel tours
Snorkel San Diego
- Shore snorkel tours
Snorkel San Diego Scuba
- Shore snorkel tours
La Jolla Caves Snorkel and Paddleboard Rentals
- Snorkel gear rental
You'll love snorkeling in San Diego
Our boats make weekly trips to the Coronado Islands, a Mexican snorkeling paradise. They're also available for private snorkeling charters for groups from 6 to 24 people.
Photo by Ed Olu