Monterey Bay, California
View from McAbee Beach
Monterey Bay is the site of both a National Marine Sanctuary and the well-known Monterey Bay Aquarium. Luckily, as a diver you can explore this beautiful bay firsthand.
The kelp beds (visible as the brownish streak in the water, upper right of photo above) provide shelter for a great variety of fish that you won't see on the East Coast, including brilliant orange Garibaldis, large pink starfish, and sea cucumbers. Kelp is easy to navigate through if you just remember to swim slowly and not flail around. Most of the time you will just slide through the kelp. However, occasionally a piece of kelp will get caught in your gear. Usually the kelp breaks off easily with a quick tug, but make sure you bring a knife or scissors just in case!
Water temperatures are comparable to New England, with temperature ranging between 40's and 60's in the summer time.
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