How deep is Marine Room (Turtle Reef)?

Marine Room (Turtle Reef) has a depth range of 0.9–12.2 metres (3–40 feet). Check the dive site page for current conditions and any depth-specific guidance before planning your dive.

What will I see at Marine Room (Turtle Reef)?

Divers at Marine Room (Turtle Reef) in United States commonly report sightings of Leopard shark, Green sea turtle, Round stingray, Shovelnose guitarfish, and Garibaldi. Marine life varies by season and conditions—check the site page for recent diver observations and photos.

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Shore entry

Marine Room (Turtle Reef)

Q: When is the best time to dive Marine Room (Turtle Reef)?

The best time to dive Marine Room (Turtle Reef) is typically Early summer through fall for the famous leopard shark aggregations and warmest water; calm mornings with small NW swell give the best entries and visibility. Green sea turtles are seen year-round on the reef.. Conditions vary, so check the latest reports and forecasts on the dive site page before your trip.

California, United States

Open Water suggested1–12 m depthShore entry3mm wetsuit typical

Marine Room (Turtle Reef) at a glance

Marine Room (Turtle Reef) is a shore dive site in California, United States with depths of 0.9–12.2 m (3–40 ft). Typically most favorable Jun–Jul · from 3 years of archive data. Divers commonly see Leopard shark, Green sea turtle, and Round stingray. Recent reports put the water around 24°C (76°F). Check the latest conditions and entry details before you go.

Marine model · graded 14h ago

1.2 mwaves — about a meter expected

Tap a factor for its source and model point · Forecast 24°C · seasonal avg 21°C

Site hazards: Stingrays in the sandy shallows (shuffle feet on entry), narrow beach that can disappear at high tide, occasional surf, restaurant patrons and swimmers near the entry; no lifeguard service at this beach.

Read the full hazards ↓

Dive windows this week

Best: Sun

Tue7:00–20:00

Wed7:00–20:00

Thu7:00–20:00

Fri7:00–20:00

Sat7:00–20:00

Sun7:00–20:00

Mon—

Favorable windowModerate window— no window

First light 5:33 · Sunrise 6:00 · Sunset 19:50

Source: Open-Meteo marine · model point 3.5 km from site · graded 14h ago

Forecast only — always assess conditions on site.

Forecast · NOAA tide model

Tide & slack timing

Recent diver reports

Dated firsthand observations from divers — not current conditions.

No diver reports for this site yet. — one dated observation helps every diver after you.

What Divers Say

Known for: Round stingray, Shovelnose guitarfish, Garibaldi

Best time: Early summer through fall for the famous leopard shark aggregations and warmest water; calm mornings with small NW swell give the best entries and visibility. Green sea turtles are seen year-round on the reef.

Based on community reviews and site data. Conditions vary — always verify before diving.

Best months, historically

What conditions have historically been typical at this site, month by month — not a forecast.

Jan70%15°C1.3 m
Feb66%15°C1.4 m
Mar62%15°C1.4 m
Apr89%16°C1.2 m
May96%18°C1.1 m
Jun100%20°C1.1 m
Jul100%21°C1.0 m
Aug98%22°C1.1 m
Sep99%22°C1.0 m
Oct92%20°C1.1 m
Nov91%18°C1.1 m
Dec88%17°C1.1 m

June and July havetypically had the largest share of favorable days here. Conditions vary year to year — this is historical context, not a forecast.

Based on 3 years of archive data. Bar height shows the share of days each month whose conditions have historically scored favorably.

Marine life recorded at this site, by month

Recorded observations — evidence of past sightings, not a promise of what you’ll encounter.

Species seen here

Leopard sharkSeasonal
Green sea turtleOccasionally seen
Round stingrayCommonly seen
Shovelnose guitarfishCommonly seen
GaribaldiCommonly seen
Kelp bassCommonly seen
California sheepheadCommonly seen
Bat rayOccasionally seen
California spiny lobsterCommonly seen
Horn sharkOccasionally seen
Two-spot octopusOccasionally seen
Angel sharkRarely seen
Harbor sealOccasionally seen

Cancer productus recorded here Jul (1 record)
most recent 2013
Citharichthys stigmaeus recorded here Jul (1 record)
most recent 2013
Neoclinus blanchardi recorded here Jul (1 record)
most recent 2013
Octopus bimaculoides recorded here Jul (1 record)
most recent 2013
Oxylebius pictus recorded here Jul (1 record)
most recent 2013
Pandalus hypsinotus recorded here Jul (1 record)
most recent 2013
Paralichthys californicus recorded here Jul (1 record)
most recent 2013
Pugettia richii recorded here Jul (1 record)
most recent 2013

Counts are occurrence records near this site from public biodiversity datasets (GBIF), grouped by calendar month across all sampled years. Sightings vary — past records are context, not a prediction.

Fills & rentals nearby

Facts from OpenStreetMap, corrected by the community — listed by distance only. Details change; confirm with the shop.

Ocean Enterprises10.6 km
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Spear Shack12.0 km
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North County Scuba Center22.0 km
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Shop facts come from OpenStreetMap and community corrections, shown nearest first. PickADive lists facts and contacts only — no listing is sponsored or ranked.

Site details

A shallow reef shore dive off the southern end of La Jolla Shores in front of the Marine Room restaurant, a quieter alternative to the main Shores entry. Known for green sea turtles, leopard sharks in the early summer months, and stingrays on the sandy bottom. Coordinates estimated just offshore of the named landmark.

reefshore

Stingrays in the sandy shallows (shuffle feet on entry), narrow beach that can disappear at high tide, occasional surf, restaurant patrons and swimmers near the entry; no lifeguard service at this beach.

Reviews

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