I have to be honest: when we booked a trip to Carmel, Monterey somehow looked too busy for my tastes. But after going there for a whale watching tour, I firstly saw that it definitely feels like a busy town but a town all the same – even going 4th of July weekend. And secondly, I really enjoyed it because of all the marine life. It was actually a major highlight of our trip and that alone made me fall in love with Monterey.

What’s up with all the marine animals in Monterey?

As someone who lives on the coast, but the opposite side of the country, it was different (and special) to see so much marine life in Monterey. That’s thanks to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, which was established in 1992, which is one of the largest ocean protection areas in the country. It doesn’t cover just the bay but from north of San Francisco down to around San Simeon. Both the animals and the environment are protected here, and after over 30 years of protection, it’s clearly thriving. Perhaps other areas should implement similar laws…

Harbor seals, sea otters, California sea lions, and dolphins are common and popular animals to see in the sanctuary. You can also see whales from Humpbacks to Blue to Gray to Killer (Orcas), and many other types. I mean… this is marine animal paradise.

Monterey Bay is also home to the Monterey Canyon, with walls up to 5,580 feet and the greatest depth clocking in at 2.5 miles. So while the bay looks like it could be quaint, it’s a humungous place for lots of marine life to live. Even near the shore, it starts in at roughly 650 feet deep!

Whale Watching in Monterey Bay, CA

Something we wanted to do was see whales in Monterey, so we booked a tour with Princess Monterey. The price was about $80 and if you have aquarium tickets, you can get $10 off – which is not a bad price for a 3 hour tour in California.

We set off and it wasn’t even 20 minutes before we got to see some whales! One was even waving its pectoral fin in the air as if to greet us (but in actuality, it’s not clear why whales do this). Then we saw two large whales that came pretty close to the boat. We stayed in one area and the whales actually came closer and closer until they came right up to us! You can see in the photos below that they were super close, and we’re actually looking at a fraction of their back, near their tail. Just this part alone was huge, and it’s hard to imagine what it’d be like to see their whole bodies in person.

So half an hour into our 3 hour whale watching tour, we already had some great encounters with the whales. Of course we went farther and farther out to sea and got to see some more whales. A lot of them were in packs of 2, so it was probably mother and child whales. The whales we saw were all quite large, so we’d guess they were older children.

The whale tour did have a marine biologist onboard and the staff was all very kind and knowledgeable. They gave us a lot of facts and information about the whales but at times the speakers weren’t loud or were obscured by the sounds of the boat or the people, so we didn’t hear everything they said.

So that’s how it went for 3 hours. Lots of whales, lots of tails. When we got further out to sea, we did get to see some more active birdlife. There must have been a big school of fish because we saw several whales in one spot plus a bunch of birds and pelicans constantly diving down into the water. That’s something you don’t get to see on shore so it was cool to have that opportunity.

The whale tours don’t really get boring to me. It’s nature so you never know what’s going to happen next or what you’re going to see. It’s also not something you get to see every day. For the whole three hours, there was excitement at seeing a spout of air or especially a tail.

In July, Blue whales and Humpback whales are in the Monterey Bay, but we only got to see Humpback whales. It was still cool but it would’ve been amazing to see a Blue whale. Did you know that while the Humpbacks are about 45 feet long, that’s only half the size of Blue whales? They can be 80-100 feet long! They’re actually the biggest animals ever, even bigger than the Megalodon! That’s mind-blowing to me.

Look at the Pier!

At the Coast Guard Pier, you can see seals, sea lions, sea birds, and other marine life. We got to see a few seals and sea lions (the only time we saw sea lions during our trip). Protected from humans by a gate, it’s common to see several animals hanging out here.

Apparently San Carlos Beach nearby also has some seals and sea lions that come up on shore, but they weren’t there the day we visited. It’s worth a peek though!

Watching Sea Life Outside the Monterey Bay Aquarium

We did not go inside the famed Monterey Bay Aquarium. It gets terrific review but it also costs $65 a head, which was more than we were willing to pay.

However if you go to the aquarium on Cannery Row, you will see a walkway over the street and an entrance that says “Hovden Way.” This is a viewing area that you can visit for free! There are a few rocks that wildlife likes to perch on as well as a big area of kelp where sea otters like to sleep. We had trouble seeing some otters but got to see some more seals playing in the water. It’s definitely worth stopping to see what’s popped up above the water.

You can also rent a kayak near the aquarium so you can get a bit closer (but not too close) to the wildlife. This is something that I wanted to do but my mom has a bad shoulder so it was out. If you do go, keep in mind that it can be quite chilly in Monterey even in the summer, so when you’re out on the water, you’ll want to bring a jacket.

Spotting Seals at Pacific Grove

Pacific Grove is technically the city next to Monterey but this next spot is a five minute walk from the aquarium so it’s going in this post anyway.

Stanford has marine research center along the coastline. There’s a chain link fence up along their center but at certain areas, you can go up and look at the seals on beach. There were so many of them, a few just sleeping in the sun and a few others having fun and playing in the water. It was so fun to watch the seals wiggle on their backs and swim back and forth with each other. It’s one thing to watch marine wildlife, it’s another to see them having a good time.

It cost $0 but it definitely rivaled the whale tour for things to do.

If you go further down the coastline, there’s more beach that’s accessible for swimming – but as an east coaster, I was shocked to find out the water is actually quite cold all year round. In July, it was freezing. If you want to swim or snorkel you should bring a wetsuit.

I really enjoyed the short time we had in Monterey and it was a big highlight of our trip. I’d love to go back just to see some more wildlife, and I would love to see other parts of the world dedicate their coastlines to preservation. Monterey Bay is a magic place, but because laws allow it to be. Hopefully the love of wildlife and nature, and the desire to preserve them, are something you bring back from Monterey.

Book an Organised Tour

Book Your Stay in Monterey

About the Author

Leave a Reply