Shaw's Cove (Laguna Beach)
Laguna Beach · near Laguna Beach · Los Angeles / SoCal
Scuba & Snorkel
At a glance
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Depth
- 45
- Water temperature
- 58–70°F · 5–7mm wetsuit
- Best season
- Summer/fall calm mornings
Permits and booking
- Permit required
- No
- How the permit works
- No permit. Shaw's Cove, Laguna Beach — within the marine reserve (no-take). A small, reef-enclosed cove reached by stairs from a residential street (limited parking). Beloved by divers for its reef walls and macro life. Rocky, so calm days only.
What is here
- Marine life
- Reef walls & a rocky arch · Garibaldi, sheephead, opaleye · Lobster & octopus dens · Nudibranchs galore
- Features
- Reef walls & a swim-through arch · Superb macro & nudibranch diving · Enclosed, scenic cove · Marine reserve abundance
Worth knowing
- Certification required
- No
- Dogs
- Not permitted
- Good for a first timer
- No
Scuba & Snorkel detail
- Dive type
- snorkel · scuba
- Entry
- shore
- Viz
- 15–40 ft
- Intl tip
- Reach Shaw's Cove by stairs from Fairview St (very limited residential parking — go early). No-take reserve. Rocky entry, so calm days only. The north-reef arch is a fun swim-through. Superb for macro photography. Combine with Divers Cove and Crescent Bay nearby. Best visibility on calm summer/fall mornings.
The guide
Shaw's Cove is a Laguna Beach favorite among divers — a small, reef-enclosed cove within the no-take marine reserve, prized for…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Shaw's Cove (Laguna Beach) — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 33.541, -117.792