Lover's Cove (Catalina)
Avalon, Catalina Island · near Avalon (Catalina Island) · Los Angeles / SoCal
Scuba & Snorkel
At a glance
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Depth
- 25
- Water temperature
- 55–74°F · 3–5mm wetsuit or rashguard in summer
- Best season
- Summer & fall (warmest, clearest)
Permits and booking
- Permit required
- No
- How the permit works
- No permit. Lover's Cove Marine Preserve, a short walk from Avalon — a no-take reserve reserved for snorkelers (no scuba). Rocky beach entry; bring water shoes. Gear rental in Avalon. Very popular with day-trippers.
What is here
- Marine life
- Clouds of garibaldi & kelp bass · Calico bass & senorita · Kelp forest edges · Occasional leopard shark & ray
- Features
- Catalina's premier snorkel cove · Fish-rich no-take preserve · Easy walk from Avalon · Great for first-time snorkelers
Worth knowing
- Certification required
- No
- Dogs
- Not permitted
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Scuba & Snorkel detail
- Dive type
- snorkel
- Entry
- shore
- Viz
- 20–60 ft
- Intl tip
- A short walk east from Avalon's ferry dock; snorkel-only (no scuba). Rocky entry — water shoes help. Summer/fall is warmest and clearest. Rent gear in Avalon. Go early to beat the day-tripper crowds. Combine with Casino Point Dive Park on the other side of the harbor.
The guide
Lover's Cove is Catalina's premier snorkeling spot — a protected no-take marine preserve just a short walk east of Avalon, set …
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Lover's Cove (Catalina) — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 33.341, -118.317