located some 110 miles off the coast of texas and louisiana, flower
garden banks may be the oddest of the sanctuaries - three salt
domes hump up from the floor of the gulf of mexico, toupeed by the
northernmost coral reef in the continental united states. the banks
are a diver's paradise, and the seven- to eight-hour trip to the
area (most outfitters leave from freeport, texas) is worth every
minute. from january through april, scalloped hammerheads visit,
and in august or september (depending on the date of the full
moon), the area erupts in a lovely undersea snowstorm, the result
of a mass coral spawn. outfitters - who know the approximate timing
- offer spawning cruises.
gray's reef national marine sanctuary, graysreef.noaa.gov,
(912) 598-2345
roughly 20 miles off sapelo island, georgia, this 17-mile piece of
open ocean is home to a sandstone reef fat with corals, sponges,
and fish, making it one of the most popular diving and sportfishing
(grouper, black sea bass, snapper, mackerel) spots off the georgia
coast. don't dive or fish? visit the interpretive centers at the
university of georgia's marine education center and aquarium on
skidaway island (
www.uga.edu/aquarium,
912-598-2496) or the tybee island marine science center
(
www.tybeemsc.org,
912-786-5917).
gulf of the farallones national marine sanctuary,
farallones.noaa.gov, (415) 561-6622
located northwest of san francisco, this sanctuary abuts some of
america's loveliest shore, offering beaches, wetlands, and great
tide pooling (try duxbury reef tide pool for starters). the
sanctuary is a breeding ground for harbor seals, elephant seals,
pacific white-sided dolphins, and more than 300,000 seabirds.
whale-watching trips and nature expeditions head for the farallon
islands, where they might spot gray, humpback, and blue whales,
and, though outfitters won't guarantee it, possibly great white
sharks near the islands, especially from september through
november. more timid souls can visit the sanctuary visitor center
at crissy field (near the golden gate bridge, 415-561-6625).