Salish Sea at a glance
- 130 maverage depth
- 112 mmedian depth
- 678 mmaximum depth
- 15,180 km²water area
Salish Sea is a sea. Inside its outline the GEBCO grid has about 15,180 km² of water, with an average depth of about 130 m (the middle value is 112 m) and a maximum of 678 m, found at 49.79° N, 124.07° W.
Open the map at the deepest cell and tap to read the depth.
How deep is each part of the Salish Sea?
The bar splits the Salish Sea's water by depth. Each colour is a depth band, and the shares add up to 100%.
- 0 to 200 m: 79.2%
- 200 to 1,000 m: 20.8%
- 1,000 to 4,000 m: 0%
- 4,000 to 6,000 m: 0%
- below 6,000 m: 0%
Named features near the deepest point: Sangster Ridge (46 km), Sechelt Basin (56 km), Boundary Basin (132 km), Tully Canyon (191 km).
The Salish Sea if sea level dropped
The slider on the map lowers the sea in steps. This table shows how much of the Salish Sea's water would be land at each step.
| Sea level lowered by | Becomes land | Share of its water |
|---|---|---|
| 10 m | 856 km² | 5.6% |
| 20 m | 1,665 km² | 11% |
| 50 m | 3,776 km² | 24.9% |
| 80 m | 5,817 km² | 38.3% |
| 120 m | 8,048 km² | 53% |
| 200 m | 12,023 km² | 79.2% |
| 500 m | 15,158 km² | 99.9% |
| 1,000 m | 15,180 km² | 100% |
| 2,000 m | 15,180 km² | 100% |
| 3,000 m | 15,180 km² | 100% |
| 4,000 m | 15,180 km² | 100% |
| 6,000 m | 15,180 km² | 100% |
A simple bathtub model: it lowers the sea everywhere by the same amount and does not simulate how water would really drain.
Nearby seas
- Gulf of Alaska average depth about 1,559 m
- Golfo de California average depth about 783 m
- Hudson Bay average depth about 111 m
- Beaufort Sea average depth about 1,407 m
- Bering Sea average depth about 1,844 m
- Foxe Basin average depth about 77 m
Nearest by the centre of each outline. All oceans and seas
Frequently asked questions
How deep is the Salish Sea?
On average about 130 m in the GEBCO grid (the middle value is 112 m). The deepest cell inside its outline is 678 m, at 49.79° N, 124.07° W.
How big is the Salish Sea?
About 15,180 km² of water inside its Natural Earth outline, counted from the grid cells that are below sea level.
How much of the Salish Sea would be land if sea level dropped?
With the sea 10 m lower, about 856 km² (5.6%) of its water would be land. At 6,000 m lower, 100% would be. This is a simple bathtub model that lowers the sea evenly everywhere.
Data: depths from the GEBCO_2026 grid, statistics worked out inside the Natural Earth outline of the sea. See data sources and licences. The GEBCO Grid should NOT be used for navigation or for any other purpose involving safety at sea.