Quick Facts: The Sanctuary at a Glance
- Northern Boundary: Rocky Point, 7 miles north of Golden Gate Bridge.
- Southern Boundary: Cambria, San Luis Obispo County.
- Seaward Boundary: Average of 30 miles offshore (and as far as 53 miles offshore).
- Shoreward Boundary: Mean High Tide.
- Shoreline Length: 276 Statute Miles (almost exactly, which is about one quarter of California's coast!)
- Size: 6,094 square statute miles or 4,601 square nautical miles—about the size of Connecticut.
- Deepest Point: 12,743 feet or 3,884 meters in Davidson Seamount Management Zone.
- Volume: 4,480 cubic miles or 7,469,681,093 olympic-sized swimming pools.
- Average Ocean Surface Temperature: 55F (13C)
- Marine Mammals: 36 species
- Seabirds and Shorebirds: more than 180 species
- Fishes: at least 525 species
- Turtles: 4 species
- Invertebrates: 31 phyla
- Marine algae: 450-plus species
- Historical Sites: 1,276 reported shipwrecks and 718 prehistoric sites
- Administered by: U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), National Marine Sanctuaries (NMS)