Scuba Diving in Juneau, Alaska
Where and When to Cold Water Dive in Southeast Alaska's Fjords
Coldwater diving near Alaska's capital city offers experienced divers plenty of wall diving, sea life, shipwrecks, and personal challenge.
Dive sites are plentiful and easy to access in Juneau, Alaska. The local road system runs exclusively along both the mainland coast as well as the eastern edge of nearby Douglas Island, making it easy to get to the water. In addition, the many charter boat operations in the community makes securing a boat ride to sites off the road system simple as well.
Alaskan Diving in General
Previous experience and training in cold water conditions is mandatory to dive safely, as diving in cold climates is particularly demanding. The seas near Juneau harbor cold water, variable visibility, potentially strong currents and often low light levels. Most divers use dry suits, with far less range of motion than a tropical diver experiences. High quality gear is a must. In addition to the basics of mask, snorkel, weight harness and fins, divers typically splash in using a dry suit as well as a cold water tolerant regulator, dive computer, buoyancy compensator, and light.
Compared with diving in warmer climates, gear-up is lengthy and a prudent diver does pre-dive equipment checks. Dive insurance is recommended and can be attained affordably via the Divers Alert Network (DAN). Fortunately, Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau has the only hyperbaric chamber in southeast Alaska if a dive emergency does arise.
When to Go
Winter diving offers the best visibility as low levels of sunlight and cold water temperatures (38 degrees Fahrenheit is about the average in February and March) inhibit phytoplankton blooms. Divers in areas with cleansing currents often report visibility of 50 to 100 feet.
Summer diving is slightly more hospitable with water temperatures ranging from 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. However, long hours of sunlight and plentiful nutrients stirred up by winter storms can make for hefty phytoplankton blooms. At such times “good” visibility is considered to be five or ten feet, but is oftentimes much less.
Diving Alaska’s Temperate Fjords
Bathymetry. Southeast Alaska’s underwater topography offers both shallow, gentle beach slopes as well as plunging walls. The most recent ice age sculpted much of the region into a wilder land of pinnacles and precipice, both above and below the water. No matter where a diver enters the water, it seldom takes much swimming to find a wall to explore.
Marine Fauna. Temperate seas do not offer the biodiversity of the tropics, but they make up for it in sheer biomass. Alaskan waters are among the most productive in the world, and the seas around Juneau are no exception. Strong phytoplankton and zooplankton trophic levels support abundant fish, invertebrate, and marine mammal populations. Dives often yield such varied sightings as crab, flatfish, various anemones and urchins, octopus, schooling fish such as salmon or herring, and even a curious Steller sea lion or two.
Shipwrecks
There are two prominent shipwrecks near Juneau. As designated archaeological sites on state lands, (i.e., within three miles of the coast) the wrecks are protected by state law. Recreational diving is allowed, but unauthorized disturbance or collection of artifacts is strictly forbidden.
The Princess Sophia struck Vanderbilt Reef in October 1918 during a storm, eventually sliding free and sinking, killing all 350 people aboard. The wrecked steamer now rests on a slope in 80 to 150 feet of water, approximately 35 miles west of Juneau.
The Princess Kathleen, a large passenger liner, went aground off Juneau’s Lena Point in 1952. She sank with no loss of life, and now rests close to shore on a slope in 80-140 feet of water.
Diving these wrecks is for experienced divers’ only, owing to strong currents and poor visibility.
Getting To Juneau
Juneau is essentially landlocked—it is accessible only by boat or plane. Regardless of how one travels, visitors in the months from May to September need to book their tickets well in advance, as the city is a prime destination for summer travelers.
For travel by air, Alaska Airlines is the sole commercial air carrier in and out of the city.
For travel by sea, the Alaska Marine Highway provides year-round ferry service to and from Juneau via Bellingham, Washington. The number of staterooms on the ferry is limited, so many people choose to bring a sleeping bag and just throw themselves down in an observatory corner or on a deck chair in the solarium during the three day transit.
Marine access during summer months is also available via various cruise lines for those travelers interested in more “traditional” travel arrangements.
Dive Shops
At the time of this writing, the only full service dive center in Juneau is The Scuba Tank. This dive shop offers a range of services including:
- Scuba training and certification
- Equipment rentals, sales, and servicing
- Dive travel packages
- Air, nitrox, trimix and Argon fills
- Dive charters
The Scuba Tank can be reached at (907)789-5115, and is located just a few minutes from the airport at 2219 Dunn Street, Juneau Alaska 99801.
(For an interesting look at some of the animals calling Alaskan waters home, read North Pacific Salmon Sharks and Jellyfish--Planktonic Predator.)
