Kelp forest
down to 12 m
Otter Cove
A shallow, calm Pacific Grove kelp dive (most of it 8-11 m) under one of Monterey Bay's thickest kelp beds, named for its resident sea otter raft.
- Open Water
- Sea otters
Open Water≤18 m
San Carlos Beach (Breakwater)
Dive site in Monterey & Carmel, United States
A calm, shallow training beach on Cannery Row with nudibranchs, octopus among the anemones and a large colony of California sea lions.
- Usual dive
- 15 m
- Deepest point
- 20 m
- Level
- Open Water
- Best months
- Sep–Nov
- Entry
- From shore
- Current
- Mild
The story
San Carlos Beach was named after the San Carlos Canning Company. The cannery burned in 1956 and the land was later turned into a park for divers.
Source: cadivingnews.com
The dive
A kelp forest and jetty / pier dive from the shore. Known for sea lions, sea otters and mola mola (sunfish).
Who it's for
Open Water≤18 mSource: cadivingnews.com
Recommended minimum: Open Water (PADI Open Water, CMAS/FFESSM N1).
Conditions
- Dive type
- Kelp forest, Jetty / pier, Macro
- Environment
- Open water
- Water
- Sea water
What you might see
- Sea lions
- Sea otters
- Mola mola (sunfish)
- Nudibranchs
- Octopus
- Anemones
Season in Monterey & Carmel
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- Best
- Good
- Possible
- Closed
- Not documented yet
Best months: Sep–Nov.
Source: padi.comPrices in Monterey & Carmel
- One dive
- €45–269
- Try dive
- €269
- Open Water course
- €824–1182
- Marine park fee
- €18
Prices found at the area's dive centres, not specific to this site. Details and sources
Where is Monterey & Carmel?
The point shows the Monterey & Carmel area, not the exact dive site.
More dives in Monterey & Carmel
Kelp forest
down to 18 m
Coral Street
A small Pacific Grove cove inside the Marine Gardens Fish Refuge with rocky ridges, thick summer-fall kelp and water clearer than most Monterey sites.
- Advanced
- Rockfish
Pinnacle
down to 17 m
Eric's Pinnacle
A calm boat dive on a pinnacle from 6 to 17 m in Monterey Bay, often circled by large schools of blue rockfish.
- Open Water
- Rockfish
Kelp forest
down to 12 m
McAbee Beach
A calm, protected sand-beach entry on Cannery Row leading to a giant kelp bed where sea otters are common and old sardine pipes shelter rockfish.
- Open Water
- Sea otters
Kelp forest
down to 40 m
Monastery Beach
Carmel shore dive with a steep boulder wall from 24 to 40 m, Tealia anemones and one of the best invertebrate collections on the West Coast.
- Advanced
- Sea lions
Macro
down to 9 m
Municipal Wharf II
Shallow (to 9 m) wharf dive where anemone-carpeted pilings hide invertebrates and fishes, small red octopus are likely and nudibranchs are the headliners.
- Open Water
- Rays
About this page
Values marked “Estimated” come from our original catalogue and are being checked against published sources one by one. Sourced values link to where they come from. Conditions change with the season, the weather and the tide: confirm with a local dive centre before you dive.