Shore diving is the most popular form of diving in Monterey area. There are a number of easily-accessible dive sites located around the peninsula. Cannery Row, Pacific Grove and Carmel have sites that are all unique and offer plenty of variety for scuba divers.
Monterey Bay
San Carlos Beach Dive Site
San Carlos Beach has been dubbed the most-dived beach in California and for good reason. This is where you may encounter sea lions in the wild along the shallows of the Breakwater wall. Harbor seal and sea otter are also common here as well as a myriad of invertebrate life and many species of fish - A great easy-entry dive site for viewing most of Monterey's unique marine wildlife.
McAbee Beach Dive Site
A more advanced site with an average depth of 35 to 50 feet, harbor seals are the main attraction here and are seen on most dives.
harbor seal
Lovers Point Dive Site
With so much plant life and a thick kelp forest, Lovers is best suited for diving during the winter months when the conditions are clearer and plant life less abundant.
Point Lobos Dive Site / Carmel Dive Site
Considered one of the best shore dives in the region, Point Lobos Wildlife Preserve is a state park and marine sanctuary. This untouched and protected piece of wilderness is home to one of the best dive sites on the central coast. Diving is regulated and reservations may be necessary there though.
Jim Fields with Sea Lion at Point Lobos
If you plan on diving Monterey Bay and you want to make the best of it, you should consider a professional guide. The Monterey Bay Dive Charters located on the peninsula specialize on guided shore diving. Their staff has been diving the waters around Monterey for many years and they can show you all the unique areas and point out photographic opportunities as well.
Owned and operated by Jim Fields, PADI Master Instructor with over 28 years of California diving experience and over 14 years as a dive professional in Monterey, the Monterey Bay Dive Charters (MBDC) team provide guided scuba tour services and equipment rental logistics at all of the popular dive sites around the Monterey Peninsula. Whether you are looking for an out-of-the-ordinary experience or you are just starting out and want to experience Monterey's underwater world as well as the equipment needed to get there, MBDC is a place to check.
For more information call 831-383-9276 or email info@mbdcscuba.co
Address: 100 Cannery Row, Monterey, California 93940
Photos: © MBDC, copyrights applied.
Source: http://www.mbdcscuba.com
