Diving through shipwrecks at Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary

By Rebecca Kajumba

Channel Islands National Park is so rich in culture and history. For thousands of years, the route across the Channel Islands was used by tons of ships carrying passengers, goods for trade and even military goods along the coast. Over time due to the choppy waters and unreliable water conditions, some of these grand ships got wrecked and sunk in the Channel Islands. Diving in Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary has recorded more than 150 ships and aircraft within their waters, however, only a few have been discovered. The Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary provides information about diving and boating safety in order to preserve these archaeological sites. Divers are welcome to explore the eerie and stunning underwater relics. The diving areas are for all skill levels, shallow shipwrecks that can be explored by beginners as well as snorkelers. The giant kelp forests that support the marine life are also quite beautiful. Ventura Dive and Sport Ventura Dive and Sport offers affordable scuba diving lessons. They have an awesome dive boat, “The Raptor,” that goes out to the Channel Islands where you can learn and improve your diving skills. Santa Barbara Maritime Museum If you are not interested in going underwater, the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum gives you the chance to see the shipwrecks without getting wet. They have an interactive exhibition that shows a lot of the archaeological findings along the Channel Islands. The ongoing research on the ships that were wrecked is on display for visitors. The museum is a great alternative to learning more about the shipwrecks.

A post shared by Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (@sbmaritimemuseum) on Jun 16, 2016 at 2:38pm PDT

For more information, check out this article on the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.