Octopus Hole

Octopus Hole dive site, Lilliwaup, WA, US
Photo: Joe (Mydivingsites Actual)

Octopus Hole is a shore dive in Lilliwaup, WA, US, from 9.1–19.8 m (30–65 ft). Hood Canal wall dive at about 50 fsw, known for GPO, wolf eels, tiger shrimp, and crabs.

Site details

Entry
Beach/Shore
Depth
9.1–19.8 m (30–65 ft)
Environment
Ocean/Sea
Entry effort
Hard (2 of 5)
Surface swim
92 m (302 ft)
Coordinates
47.44533, -123.11322

Site briefing

Wall in Hood Canal, accessible from shore. Commonly cited creatures are GPO, Wolf Eel, Tiger shrimp, crabs.

Entry and route

Park alongside the highway at the bumpout - approximately at 47.44653, -123.11419. There's room for 5-7 cars. Plan on gearing up at the car, or making a few trips down the path and the rustic stairs - be careful! The site is signed as private property (which it is), but access is open for divers, and it's a designated conservation area. Once in the water, swim out on a heading of 145 degrees - there's a mooring buoy that you're heading to. Then drop to the reef - depending on tides, it should be around 35' fsw. Note that this is the northernmost point of the wall, so you'll follow the depth contour south to get to the rest of it. A good bet is to head out at the bottom of the wall, and head back in on the upper portion.

Tides and currents

  • Nearest NOAA tide station: Ayock Point (9445388)
  • Nearest NOAA current station: Chinom Point (PCT1596)

MyDivingSites forecasts tide, current, swell, and weather for Octopus Hole hour by hour.

Dive reports from Octopus Hole

2 logged dives, average rating 2.5 out of 5, average visibility 3.0 m (10 ft).

  • Sep 27, 2025 · Joe · visibility 3 m (10 ft) — First time here, swam out from the beach at 145 degrees to the buoy. Decided to descend north of the buoy by 150’ or so in case it is a mooring buoy, didn't want to come up to a boat...Placed the dive flag in 45fsw. Descended into 7fsw of 5' viz, and once past 15' fsw viz opened up considerably. An estimated 25' swam due east to 65’ looking for the wall as a handrail. Upon review, we were too far north. The wall appears to run south from the buoy, rather than north/south in the area. Seen: Red Rock Crab, Plumose Anemone (Orange Variety), Sugar Kelp, Mottled Sea Star, Broad Ribbed Kelp, Flounder.
  • Sep 27, 2025 · JUSTIN · visibility 3 m (10 ft) — We were too far north of where we thought the wall was. Next time start at the mooring buoy vs 150 feet north. Seen: Spot Prawn, Coonstripe Shrimp, California Sea Cucumber.

Marine life seen here

  • Broad Ribbed Kelp (Costaria costata) — seen on 1 dive
  • California Sea Cucumber (Parastichopus californicus) — seen on 1 dive
  • Coonstripe Shrimp (Pandalus danae) — seen on 1 dive
  • Flounder (Platichthys stellatus) — seen on 1 dive
  • Mottled Sea Star (Evasterias troschelii) — seen on 1 dive
  • Plumose Anemone (Orange Variety) (Metridium dianthus) — seen on 1 dive
  • Red Rock Crab (Cancer productus) — seen on 1 dive
  • Spot Prawn (Pandalus platyceros) — seen on 1 dive
  • Sugar Kelp (Saccharina latissima) — seen on 1 dive

Nearby dive sites

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