Monterey Bay

The coast of central California is famed for its rugged beauty and fair climate. To experience this part of the sea from the helm of a sailboat is pure joy. Being at one with the ocean swell and the sea breeze on a sailboat without the noise and pollution of an engine offers a quiet, serene way to enjoy the natural magnificence of Monterey Bay.
The clean, clear, cool, blue waters of Monterey Bay are a treat for all.

The abundance and variety of birds and marine life is a wonder that makes cruising here truly memorable. Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary was established in 1992 as the largest of the thirteen sanctuaries managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The sanctuary covers a vast area of over four thousand square miles, about the size of the state of Connecticut. The Sanctuary covers an area of the Pacific Coast where cool ocean currents from the north meet warmer currents flowing up from the south. This gives our bay a rich mixture of nutrient-rich warm and cold-water masses. The result is a rare population of warm water and cold-water marine plants and animals.

Because of its unique physiography and biological diversity, Monterey Bay has been an area of intense interest to oceanographers and marine scientists for well over a century. In addition to the famed Monterey Aquarium, the area is host to Stanford University's Hopkins Marine Station and the Moss Landing Marine Laboratories. At any time you may spot a variety of wild, pelagic animals and sea birds, as well as:

• Gray whales and Gulls

• Humpbacks and Herons

• Great Blues and Grebes

• Seals and Sanderlings

• Orcas and Otters

• Dolphins and Herons

• Sharks and Sea Monsters

• and who knows? ...