Dive site
Monterey Breakwater
California, USA
- Typical depth
- 12 m
- Type
- Freshwater
- Level
- Beginner
Notes
Kelp forest, sea lions, harbor seals.
Marine life
- Macro
- nudibranchs (rich diversity), decorator crab, hermit crab
- Pelagics
- jack mackerel
- Whales & dolphins
- California sea lion (resident colony), harbor seal (resident), sea otter (surface)
- Reef fish
- lingcod, rockfish, cabezon, painted greenling, kelp greenling, sculpins
- Cephalopods
- giant Pacific octopus, market squid (winter spawning runs), red octopus
- Invertebrates
- metridium anemone fields on the breakwater, sea stars, sunflower star (recovering), sea urchin, strawberry anemone
Site features
- Shore Dive
- Kelp Forest
- Sea Lion Encounters
- Breakwater Wall
- Sheltered Entry
- Beginner-Friendly
- Training Site
When to dive
- Best
- year-round
Monterey Breakwater (San Carlos Beach) is the iconic Northern California shore dive — a sheltered cobble-and-sand entry alongside the Coast Guard breakwater giving access to a giant kelp forest, the breakwater wall (covered in metridium anemones), and a resident colony of California sea lions that often join divers. Year-round dive; viz peaks in autumn and winter (after the spring upwelling clears). Cold water — 7 mm semi-dry or drysuit; 5 mm hood and gloves standard.
Conditions & access
- Visibility
- 5–15 m
- Water temp
- 10–16 °C
- Current
- Mild
- Access
- Open access
- Min cert
- Open Water; cold-water/drysuit orientation recommended for non-locals
Location
36.6058° N, 121.8919° W
Sources
Curated from 1 source
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