How cold is Alcatraz water?

Water temperatures can be as low as 48°F but usually vary between 49-56°F, so check out our tips on getting acclimatized to cold water and preferably attend some winter clinics and swims. This is not the time to try out cold water swimming for the first time!

Is it possible to swim from Alcatraz?

Swimming from Alcatraz is one of the most famous, desirable, and enjoyable open water swims (wild swim) in the entire world. Despite lore that swimming from Alcatraz is dangerous, for experienced swimmers with proper support, swimming from Alcatraz can be safe and fun.

Is Alcatraz Shark infested waters?

The waters between North Beach and Alcatraz are not shark infested, as urban legends would have you believe. Most sharks can't live in the bay's fresh water, as their fatty livers aren't functionally flotational without salination.

How cold is San Francisco's water?

The ocean off San Francisco is at its warmest from mid August to late September when the temperature averages 60 degrees Fahrenheit (15.5 degrees Celsius). The coolest months are January and February, when the sea temperature is typically at 53 °F (11.7 ° C).

Are sharks in San Francisco Bay?

San Francisco Bay is reputedly home to some of the world's most shark-infested waters. It sits in the middle of the so-called “red triangle” where around 40% of the country's great white shark attacks have taken place.

Why is the water around Alcatraz always cold?

Why is San Francisco Bay water so cold?

Upwelling is what makes Bay Area beaches unpleasant for casual dipping in summer: High inland temperatures in spring and summer create northwest winds that run parallel to the coast, pushing warmer surface water offshore and pulling the cold water up.

Has anyone survived swimming from Alcatraz?

during which the prison housed about 1,500 total prisoners, only 14 total escape attempts were made. Of those who attempted to escape, none are believed to have successfully made it to shore without drowning, being captured, or being shot during the attempt.

How deep is water around Alcatraz?

With that said though, the water surrounding Alcatraz is on the deeper end of the scale, but still, it's just an average depth of 43 feet.

Has anyone swam across Alcatraz?

Jim Zinger, 76, recently swam from Alcatraz Island to St. Francis Beach in San Francisco. This is his second time doing so, with the first occurring 12 years ago. Jim Zinger told himself after swimming from Alcatraz Island to mainland San Francisco 12 years ago that he would never perform the feat again.

Are there sharks in Alcatraz Bay?

A common question on Alcatraz is, “Are there sharks?” Answer – Yes! Over a dozen species of sharks live in the San Francisco Bay. One of the most common is the Leopard Shark. Averaging about 5' in length, they prey upon crabs and other benthic creatures that live on the floor of the Bay.

What type of sharks are around Alcatraz?

Great white sharks (unfairly made infamous by the movie “Jaws”) rarely venture inside the bay, even though they are numerous in Pacific Ocean waters just outside the Golden Gate.

How long does the Alcatraz swim take?

Apparently, they rarely come into the bay, preferring the deeper, saltier waters on the far side of the bridge. I checked the map. Alcatraz to the bridge is less than three miles, a 10-minute swim for a great white.

Did Alcatraz have hot showers?

The showers at Alcatraz were always supplied with moderately hot water, in order to hinder inmates from becoming acclimated to the freezing Bay waters. Personal items carried by the inmates were found floating in the Bay the following day. Also found was a life preserver with heavy teeth marks on the valve.

How long would it take to swim from Alcatraz to San Francisco?

(05-22) 10:10 PDT SAN FRANCISCO - A 7-year-old boy has become one of the youngest people to swim the cold, swift waters between Alcatraz Island and San Francisco, completing the 1.4-mile distance in 47 minutes. No official records are kept for the feat, but Braxton Bilbrey could be the youngest ever to accomplish it.

How did Alcatraz get fresh water?

As Alcatraz had no water supply of its own, it had to import it from the mainland, brought by tug and barge. During the island's military years, it was stored in ground tanks and cisterns situated on the roof of the citadel.

Are there sharks under Golden Gate Bridge?

While great white sharks are occasionally seen near the Golden Gate Bridge, they rarely stray into the Bay's main waters. Great whites are most abundant near the Farallon Islands, 35 miles west of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Can you swim from Alcatraz to Angel Island?

From Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, a boat will carry you to the north side of Alcatraz Island. Upon entering the water you will make the 2 mile swim to Angel Island with the incoming flood tide behind you.

Are there shark attacks in San Francisco Bay?

In June, a San Francisco man was bitten by a shark while snorkeling in Gray Whale Cove off the San Mateo County coast. He told the Mercury News that he felt a sharp pain as he reached for a Dungeness crab, then saw what looked to be a juvenile shark's nose and beady black eyes.

What is Alcatraz used for now?

Alcatraz now is a property of the U.S. National Park Service, and instead of housing hardened criminals, it welcomes people from around the world to explore its historic grounds. Opened to the public in 1973, Alcatraz is toured by more than 1.4 million people every year.

How far of a swim is it from Alcatraz to land?

We were among a group of 10 swimmers braving the swirling waters and strong currents of the San Francisco Bay on a one-and-a-half mile (2.4km) open-water swim from the notorious Alcatraz Island to the mainland.

How deep is the deepest part of the San Francisco Bay?

The deepest part of the bay is under and out of the Golden Gate Bridge, at 372 ft (113 m).

How deep is the Golden Gate Bridge under water?

377-Feet Deep And Full Of Mystery

At around 377 feet at its deepest point, the waters underneath the Golden Gate Bridge are bound to hold more than one ghostly tale from the past.

Why is the Golden Gate Bridge always foggy?

The Golden Gate Bridge has an influence in directing fog as it pushes up and pours down around the Bridge. "Advection fog" forms when humid air from the Pacific Ocean swoops over the chilly California current flowing parallel to the coast.