Redfish Rocks Marine Reserve

Redfish Rocks Marine Reserve sits about 4 nautical miles south of Port Orford's Dolly Dock, off Humbug Mountain and Rocky Point Beach in Curry County. The reserve covers 7 square kilometers of rocky reef, sandy floor, and emergent sea stacks that give the site its name. Divers work sheer walls riven by surge channels and dramatic seafloor structure across the reserve. Bull kelp forms a canopy over the shallower rock, and the reef holds 6 species of rockfish.

Redfish Rocks was one of 5 marine reserves designated through an Oregon legislative process that began in 2008. The site was community-nominated, and monitoring began in 2010. Harvest restrictions have been enforced since January 1, 2012, under Oregon Administrative Rule 141-142-0035. The emergent rocks stand off Humbug Mountain to the south and Rocky Point Beach to the north, providing seabird nesting colonies and pinniped haulouts above the water.

The boulder and cobble bottom across the reserve make up a rocky reef biome, and bull kelp anchored on the shallower rock forms a kelp forest biome overhead. Divers observe 6 species of rockfish along the structure, with China rockfish among the most visible. Plumose anemones and ochre sea stars cover the shallower rock. Non-take diving and snorkeling are the permitted activities inside the reserve.

Access is boat-only. South Coast Tours runs scuba charters and snorkel-by-boat trips out of Port Orford's Dolly Dock aboard the Black Pearl, a Zodiac-style ocean boat with a dive ladder; longer kayak visits go out by special request. All take of fish, invertebrates, and seaweeds is prohibited inside the Marine Reserve under Oregon Administrative Rule 141-142-0035, and has been enforced continuously since January 1, 2012. The adjacent Redfish Rocks Marine Protected Area under Oregon Administrative Rule 141-142-0040 is a distinct boundary that permits salmon by troll and Dungeness crab only.