Monterey California – Cannery Row, Aquarium, and Coastal Highlights

When we told the hotel staff that we were looking for a good seafood dinner, they gave us a recommendation to have dinner at the Osteria Al Mare restaurant - which we did. The restaurant is right on the water a very short walk across San Carlos beach. There is a very large parking lot for that area, which is shared with the Coast Guard Pier.

I had the Fettuccine Al Pescatore - fettuccine clams, shrimp, mussels, calamari, spicy tomato sauce and everything was fresh and tasty. I started my dinner with their clam chowder which was as good as I have ever had elsewhere, ie; clams were fresh & plentiful, the soup was full of veggies and the broth was perfect. Celeste had the Il Salmone, and we both had chardonnay. We finished the meal by sharing several small cannolis, which were delicious. Did I mention the bread that came with our dinner was also just out of the oven and perfect for mopping up clam chowder or pescatore sauce!

Cannery Row in Monterey, California, has a rich history tied to the fishing and canning industries. Originally known as Ocean View Avenue, it was renamed Cannery Row in 1958 in honor of the famous novel by John Steinbeck, who immortalized the area’s unique character in his 1945 book "Cannery Row."

In the early 20th century, Monterey's sardine fishing industry boomed, and by the 1920s, Cannery Row was the center of a thriving sardine canning industry. Dozens of canneries lined the waterfront, employing thousands of workers and making Monterey the "Sardine Capital of the World." The canneries processed millions of pounds of sardines, which were shipped worldwide.

However, overfishing led to the collapse of the sardine population, and by the 1950s, the once-bustling industry had declined. The canneries closed, and the area fell into disrepair. Steinbeck's novel, set against this backdrop, captured the life and struggles of the workers and eccentric locals who lived there.

In the decades that followed, Cannery Row underwent revitalization, transforming into a popular tourist destination. Today, the historic cannery buildings house restaurants, shops, and attractions like the world-renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium, which opened in 1984.

Our hotel was directly on Cannery Row which is the street directly next to the beach in Monterey. It was a short stroll from our hotel to the main area of Cannery Row, with a series of excellent views of the bay during the entire walk.

The Monterey Aquarium has a nice display with a few of the old machines used in canning and some educational information about what happened to the sardines. There are also signs located throughout the area that provide some information and history. Be sure to stop and take a look.

San Carlos Beach in Monterey, California, is a fantastic destination for those seeking ocean adventures and natural beauty. Known for its excellent scuba diving and snorkeling, the beach offers easy access to dive sites like the Breakwater, where divers can explore vibrant kelp forests, rocky reefs, and encounter diverse marine life, including sea otters, seals, and colorful fish.

For non-divers, the beach provides great opportunities to observe marine wildlife from the shore, with frequent sightings of otters, seals, and seabirds. Families can enjoy the sandy beach, grassy picnic areas, and coastal walking trails, making it perfect for relaxation or a leisurely stroll.

San Carlos Beach was right next door to our hotel, so we would walk through it to get to the Osteria Al Mare Restaurant and the Old Fisherman's Wharf. It is a great area for people watching and looking for sealife in the bay. You should note that it can get pretty cool in Monterey in the evenings or when the wind blows so it’s a good idea to always bring a sweater.

Monterey Bay water temperature is brisk, reaching it's warmest levels in September but still at 58 degrees farenheit or lower. We saw a number of divers in boats or walking in from the beach, and they were always in wet suits.

The city of Monterey took ownership of the wharf in 1913 and it was an active fish market in the 1960s. Fisherman’s Wharf was fun to visit on the evening that we arrived. It’s a typical pier with tourist shops and restaurants. We stopped into one of the shops and picked up a hat pin… we do this in every location we stay as the hat pins or lapel pins are what we collect as a memorial to our trips. It gives us a good reason to pop in and look around. Terry typically picks up the t-shirt to go with the destination.

The wharf was built by the Pacific Coast Steamship Company in 1870 for the loading and unloading of passengers and goods. The wharf was also used by other commercial operations, and the city of Monterey took ownership in 1913. The wharf was expanded through 1920.

Monterey Bay, California, is home to a diverse array of marine life due to its unique location along the Pacific coast and the presence of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, one of the largest marine protected areas in the United States. The bay’s deep waters, underwater canyons, and rich upwelling of nutrients support a thriving ecosystem.

Marine Mammals

• Sea Otters: These playful mammals are often seen floating in kelp beds, using rocks to crack open shellfish. Monterey Bay is known for its healthy population of sea otters, which play a crucial role in maintaining the balance of the kelp forest ecosystem.
• Seals and Sea Lions: Harbor seals and California sea lions are frequently spotted along the coast and on rocky shores, basking in the sun or playing in the waves.
• Whales: Monterey Bay is a prime spot for whale watching. Humpback whales, gray whales, and blue whales migrate through the area. Orcas (killer whales) and dolphins, including Risso’s and common dolphins, can also be seen.
• Over 30 species of marine mammals live in or pass through the bay.

Fish and Invertebrates

• Rockfish and Lingcod: Common in the bay’s rocky reefs, they provide shelter for other marine species.
• Jellyfish: Moon jellies and Pacific sea nettles are among the many species drifting in the waters.
• Crabs, Sea Stars, and Anemones: Tide pools along the coast are full of invertebrates like hermit crabs, purple sea urchins, and vibrant anemones.
• Monterey Bay is home to 345 species of fish, including bony fish and cartilaginous fish like sharks, skates, and rays.

Turtles

• Monterey Bay is home to four species of sea turtles, including the leatherback turtle. Just so it is clear, an ocean turtle is a reptile, not a mammal or a fish; they are classified as marine reptiles, meaning they live in the ocean but still need to breathe air like other reptiles do.

Sea Birds

• Monterey Bay is home to 94 species of seabirds, including the California brown pelican and the western snowy plover.

Monterey Bay is a haven for marine life, hosting over 30 species of mammals, including playful sea otters, curious harbor seals, and the magnificent blue whales, which can reach an astounding length of 100 feet. The bay is a hotspot for wildlife enthusiasts due to its rich marine ecosystem, supported by the deep underwater canyon that sustains an abundance of food for these creatures.

During our visit, we were fortunate to spot harbor seals lounging on the rocks and sea otters floating gracefully on their backs, often cracking open shellfish with their tools. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to witness the awe-inspiring blue whales, even though they are known to visit the bay during the summer and fall months when krill is abundant. These gentle giants, the largest animals on Earth, are a breathtaking sight and a bucket-list experience for anyone exploring Monterey Bay.

Our Monterey visit left us eager to return and spend more time in this incredible marine sanctuary. Next time, we'll plan a whale-watching tour and stay longer to increase our chances of encountering these majestic creatures. Monterey Bay offers a unique and unforgettable opportunity to connect with the wonders of the ocean.

We’ve been to a few aquariums including the National Aquarium Baltimore Aquarium and the Oceanograpahic Museum in Monaco. Terry is a SCUBA diver and has even done a dive in the EPCOT aquarium (see footnote below) at Disney World one year. I guess you could say that aquariums are on our list of things we like to visit. The Monterey Bay aquarium was a highlight of our trip to Monterey. In fact, it made the top 10 list of aquariums in the United States by Travel and Leisure in 2021.

Monterey Bay Aquarium is a non-profit and relies on entry fees and donations so the tickets are not cheap but they do a fantastic job presenting the information and they do a lot of worthwhile marine research and participate in conservation efforts.

Reservations are required in addition to tickets to enter the aquarium (click here to make your reservations and get tickets).

The aquarium is directly on the water and there are patios that you can venture out on to view the bay in hopes of catching sight of some marine life. They have some very cool exhibits like the one in the middle picture above. Every so often the water comes blasting over the glass and it gives you an underwater view of what happens to marine life living underneath the strong waves. They also have a fascinating otter tank with training shows daily. I had no idea that otters could be trained like dolphins. One of our favorite areas was the jellyfish area. There were many tanks filled with various species. Images 4 & 6 were from the Aquarium Jellyfish Room and they are "brown stinging nettles" and image # 5 is a "purple-striped jelly". The displays in the jellyfish room are amazing, and the lighting in use there makes them look like psychedelic paintings!

Click here to view a live cam from the Jellyfish Room at the Monterey Aquarium.

NOTE: As a SCUBA diver, diving in the EPCOT aquarium may have been the most unique dive I ever took. It is a huge structure, 26 feet deep and 203 feet in diameter with 5.7 million gallons of water named "Caribbean Coral Reef Aquarium", one of the largest man-made ocean environments on the planet. It’s home to over 4,000 sea creatures from over 60 species.. But the most unusual thing about a dive there, is that there are 56 huge windows between you in the water and people inside the building looking at you! In fact, there is a restaurant ('Coral Reef Restaurant') where people are eating and pointing at the divers! The dive is named "DiveQuest" and it is currently unavailable during the Pandemic.

• Just Traveling Thru Travel Planning Tips
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