Located two miles off the coast of Goleta, near Santa Barbara, California, Naples Reef is an offshore fringing reef. Naples Reef consists of underwater pinnacles, arches, and caves, creating a dynamic seascape near Naples Point Beach. This vibrant and fertile habitat features underwater walls covered with anemones that rise 30 feet from the seafloor and includes a kelp forest that sustains a variety of fish and wildlife, including white seabass, kelp bass, rockfish, colorful nudibranchs, red gorgonians, pelicans, harbor seals, and a variety of crabs, spiny lobsters, and scallops. It is also home to many threatened and endangered animals, including the steelhead trout, the tidewater goby, the white-tailed kite, and the red-legged frog. Naples Reef is part of the Naples State Marine Conservation Area (SMCA) managed by the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and is promoted as an ecotourism destination, encouraging sustainable tourism practices that preserve its natural environment and marine life.
