Rouse Reef - Alaska
Anytime is a site we’ve always enjoyed, and it lives up to its name with a relaxed feel that’s sometimes hard to find in the Somosomo Strait. Picture three coral pinnacles, thick with life, starting shallow at just three metres and sloping down to 22m. It’s perfect for a long, multi-level dive, letting you really soak in the smaller details. We love spending time here, slowly circling the structures, looking for something new. You’ll see those huge Pagoda corals, creating little cities for the smaller fish, and the soft corals really pop against the deeper blues. Keep an eye out for Bandcheek wrasse flitting about the coral heads, and we’ve often spotted Bluestripe Pipefish tucked away amongst the branching Staghorn. It’s not about big pelagics here, though schooling barracuda do pass through sometimes. This site is more about the sheer density of reef life, the quiet buzz of the ecosystem. It suits anyone who loves a longer dive, enjoys macro, and wants to explore a healthy, vibrant reef at their own pace.
- Location
- Alaska, United States, North America
- Coordinates
- 51.484375, -127.775660
- Type
- reef
Nearby Dive Sites in Alaska
- Alarm Rocks (wreck)
- Alert Rock
- Amethyst Rock
- Bar Rocks
- Benson Rock
- Bligh Reef (reef)
- Blow Reef (wreck)
- Bonson Rock (wreck)
- Boussole Rock
- Breaker Reef (reef)
- Carlo Rock (wreck)
- Celestial Reef (reef)
- Chanal Reef (reef)
- Client Reefs (wreck)
- Cluster Reefs
Marine Life in Alaska
Home to 64 recorded species including 27 reef fish, 8 whales & dolphins, 7 crabs & lobsters, 5 sharks & rays, 3 other, 2 clams & mussels.
Notable Species
- Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) - Reef Fish
- Spotted Ratfish (Hydrolagus colliei)
- Shortspine thornyhead (Sebastolobus alascanus) - Reef Fish
- Spiny Dogfish (Squalus suckleyi) - Sharks & Rays
- Calico salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) - Reef Fish
- Eulachon (Thaleichthys pacificus) - Reef Fish
- Whiting (Merluccius productus) - Reef Fish
- coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) - Reef Fish
- Pink Salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) - Reef Fish
- Pacific Geoduck (Panopea generosa) - Clams & Mussels
- Slender Sole (Lyopsetta exilis) - Reef Fish
- red salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) - Reef Fish
- Red Rock Crab (Cancer productus) - Crabs & Lobsters
- California Spot Prawn (Pandalus platyceros) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Shiner Perch (Cymatogaster aggregata) - Reef Fish
- Giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) - Seagrass & Algae
- Dungeness Crab (Metacarcinus magister) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Spawn (Gasterosteus aculeatus) - Reef Fish
- Sunflower star (Pycnopodia helianthoides) - Starfish
- Chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) - Reef Fish