Once known as New Archangel, Sitka is both a city and a borough located on Baranof Island and the southern portion of Chichagof Island. An important port of the Alaska Panhandle, Sitka is Alaska's fourth largest city by population, but with an astonishing combined land and water area of 4,811.5 square miles, it is the second largest city by area in the entire United States! Offering plenty of great places to dive, this area is famous for its verdant swathes of spruce and other northwest rain forest trees and plants, as well as for its salmon and other marine life. First inhabited by the Tlingit people more than ten thousand years ago, and later incorporated as a Russian city in 1799 by the governor of Russian America, Alexandr Baranov, this amazing area has an intriguing history.
Magic Island: Highlights and Outstanding Features
Magic Island is actually connected to the beach by a strip of land at low tide, and is easily accessed from shore. The site is located just beyond the south end of the Halibut Point State Park parking area, and is small enough to be completely circumnavigated on a single tank of air.
Most divers do Magic Island as a loop, starting on the north side of the island and emerging on its' south side. Along the way, you'll find a spectacular wall that drops to depths between 40 and 60 feet, plus a number of outstanding swimthroughs and a long line of rocky reef to the south. In addition to these intriguing geologic features, the island offers a beautiful kelp garden.
The encrusting algaes and invertebrates here are beautifully colored, with yellow and orange basket stars, red sea stars and green sea cucumbers in abundance. There are plenty of nudibranchs, little crabs, and other critters to encounter as you make your way from one area to the next, and the site's larger occupants include octopus, rockfish, Lingcod, and the occasional small halibut. Watch for the sea lions that sometimes visit, and topside, keep an eye out for bald eagles and other birds.
Sitka's climate is oceanic, with moderate but normally cool temperatures and abundant rain and snowfall with an average of 233 rainy days and 19 days of snowfall annually. The average topside temperature in August is just over 57 degrees, while January temperatures tend to stay just above freezing during the daytime. Visibility can be as little as 5 feet and as much as about 25 feet depending on various environmental factors.
Topside, you'll find plentiful hiking, kayaking, and other outdoor activities along with welcoming cafes and coffee houses, bookstores, and local shops offering artwork and native crafts as well as life's necessities. Whale watching cruises can be arranged, and there are many different types of accommodations available, from camping to luxurious bed and breakfast getaways. Sitka's native heritage is celebrated and many Tlingit people still live in the area. Local museums and historic sites offer a look into the daily lives of the people who lived here so long ago. Whether you're here just for the diving, or if you are interested in all the other things Sitka has to offer, you'll be amazed at what you find, both above and below the water's surface.