Monterey Bay

Monterey Bay is a beautiful and marine-rich area that straddles the border between the rugged Central Coast and the Bay Area regions of California. Once the capital of Spanish California, the area was immortalized by the works of novelist John Steinbeck.

Monterey Bay is home to many species of marine mammals, including sea otters, harbor seals, and bottlenose dolphins; as well as being on the migratory path of Gray and Humpback Whales and a breeding site for elephant seals. Many species of fish, sharks, mollusks such as abalone and squid, birds, and sea turtles also live in the bay. Several varieties of kelp grow in the bay, some becoming as tall as trees, forming what is known as a kelp forest.