Site Resources & Tools
Dive planning for Point Whitehorn Wreck
Site Briefing
Point Whitehorn Marine Reserve is south of Birch Bay in Whatcom County; the site itself is a boulder-strewn kelp reef, not primarily a wreck dive.
There MAY be a wreck-like anomaly identified by NOAA bathymetry in nearby Bellingham Bay, but no confirmed wreck at Point Whitehorn is documented in the standard PNW guides. Access is by kayak from Birch Bay State Park boat ramp (roughly one-mile paddle to the boulder field at the south point of Birch Bay).
Access: Kayak or small boat access from Birch Bay State Park; direct shore access at Point Whitehorn Marine Reserve is possible via the trailhead off Koehn Rd.
Marine life: Kelp forest with abundant nudibranchs on the sugar-kelp understory; typical fish + invertebrate load; opalescent nudibranchs commonly reported.
Hazards: Exposed to Strait of Georgia weather -- SW winds destroy viz. Fraser River outflow drops summer water temperature and lowers viz in the southern Strait of Georgia.
⚠️ Safety & accuracy
Before diving at Point Whitehorn Wreck, always check the site-specific wind/wave forecast, tide/currents, and recent reports ! Reminder: Winds (even offshore winds) can impact slack time.
Briefings may be out of date or have inaccuracies. Dive within your training and experience. The first time diving a site, join someone familiar with the site and/or start on a mild day.
See our currents, tides, wind, and waves guide for help reading charts and planning current-sensitive dives.
The nearest NOAA or XTide current and tide stations within 25 miles are selected by default when available. NOAA stations show charts here; XTide stations link to Dairiki. Click a pin on the map below to choose another station for current, tide, camera, or buoy data (you may need to zoom in or out).
See an issue? Would you suggest a different default station or depth? Suggest briefing updates.
Nearby Stations
Cherry Point, 1.8 nm southeast of (24 ft) -- 4 miles away
CHERRY POINT3 -- 1 mile away
Nearest Featured Dive Sites
- Lawson Bluff (~10 miles)
- Broken Point (~21 miles)
Nearby Dive Sites
- Point Whitehorn (~2 miles)
- Derelict Conveyor (~3 miles)
- Ewing Island Fish Haven (~9 miles)