Janolus Nudibranch White Lined Dirona Nudibranch

Fox Island East Wall

The East wall of fox island is one of the best wall dives in Puget Sound.  There's a bit of a walk from the parking lot down to the beach, which seems to keep a lot of divers away from this site, but its no where near as bad as Sunrise, and I think the wall here is much more spectacular.  This site is also known as Toy Point, and receives little to no diving pressure. 

Location:  We most often dive this site by boat, but it is also easily accessible from shore, with very nice shore facilities at the park.  Directions can be found in "Northwest Shore Dives".   If you are coming by boat, the large concrete "T" dock is easy to spot on the east side of Fox Island.  GPS coordinates are:  47° 13.67' N  122°  35.41' W

From shore, enter the water from the beach at the South border of the park.  Swim out to the kelp that you will find at 12 -15' depth.    Swim through the kelp, and the bottom will just disappear below you!  This wall is 40 or more feet tall is several places, and is undercut from the wild currents of the Tacoma Narrows.  It is loaded with Octopus, Wolfies, Nudibranchs, Sculpins and all sorts of interesting critters. 

Currents:    The current at this site calms down about one hour prior to slack at the North end of the narrows, so plan your dive on a day with a low tidal exchange and have a great dive.  I personally think this site is far better than the wall at Day Island and is very similar to Sunrise in many ways, but much larger and without the traffic.

Betty Pratt-Johnson wrote that, "The east wall of Fox Island is the most beautifully wild seascape I've seen in Puget Sound.  Canyons and crevices, overhangs and caves within a few feet of shore make marvelous homes for all kinds of life."  I have to agree.  I avoided this site for years because I heard it was a, "bit of a hike".  It really is stunning and beautiful, so dive it if you have the chance.  You won't regret the dive!  ;-)

Skill Level:  Intermediate to Advanced because of the possibility for high currents.

The nearest boat ramps are at Wollochet or the Day Island Marina, both are about 2 miles from the dive site.  .