Bligh Reef
Protected Area
Sawmill Bay
Why dive here
With 58+ marine species recorded in the area - including blue sharks, blue whales, humpback whales, orcas and seals & sea lions - Bligh Reef offers some of Alaska's richest reef diving.
Aroa Rā’ui is one of those spots we always point people to, especially if they’re just getting their fins wet or want a relaxed afternoon in the shallows. Forget the big boats and deep drops for a moment. Here, you’re straight off the beach, wading into calm, clear water that rarely nudges past 6m. It's a fantastic place to just float and watch. We’ve seen Clown Butterflyfish weaving through the Staghorn coral, their yellows and blacks really popping against the blue. Schools of Gold-lined Seabream drift past, almost hypnotically. Look closely among the sand patches for the Black Sea Cucumbers, or if you’re lucky, a Granular Frog Shell. Our favorite find here has to be the Argus Grouper, often just chilling under a coral head. Visibility usually hovers around 10m, which feels ample when you're this close to the action. It's not a deep, dramatic dive, but a gentle, intimate peek into the lagoon’s smaller inhabitants. Perfect for honing buoyancy or just enjoying an easy, colorful drift.
Reviews for Bligh Reef
Conditions
Ocean conditions, forecast and tides for Bligh Reef
Bligh Reef Ocean Conditions
Monthly averages for Bligh Reef, sourced from NOAA buoy data - nearest station: Open-Meteo grid (55.23, -4) (0km away)
August Averages
Air Temperature
12.7°C
55°F
Wind Speed
5.31 m/s
10.3 knots
Atmospheric Pressure
1012.9 hPa
Based on 5 years of monitoring data · Data sources: NOAA NDBC
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