Wildlife of Monterey Bay, California
Monterey Bay's deep submarine canyon brings pelagic wildlife right to shore — blue and humpback whales feed within sight of land in summer, sea otters float in kelp forests along Cannery Row, and northern elephant seals haul out on nearby beaches by the thousand.
Best timeJune – October for whales, year-round for sea otters and elephant seals.
- 1Monterey Bay is a submarine canyon — deeper than the Grand Canyon, right offshore.
- 2Sea otters were thought extinct here until a small colony was rediscovered in 1938.
- 3Grey whales migrate past the coast twice a year, close to shore.
Signature species
Curated for Monterey Bay, California, each tagged with its IUCN Red List status.
- EN
Southern sea otter
Enhydra lutris nereis
- EN
Blue whale
Balaenoptera musculus
- EN
Marbled murrelet
Brachyramphus marmoratus
- NT
Steller sea lion
Eumetopias jubatus
- LC
Grey whale
Eschrichtius robustus
IUCN codes — EX extinct · EW extinct in wild · CR critically endangered · EN endangered · VU vulnerable · NT near threatened · LC least concern · DD data deficient
Dos & don'ts
Local etiquette that keeps wildlife wild.
Do
- Whale-watch out of Moss Landing in July for blues.
- Support MBARI otter research.
- Keep distance — use zoom or binoculars, never bait animals closer.
- Stay on marked trails to avoid trampling nests, burrows and plants.
Don't
- Don't paddle within 25m of sea otters — legally required.
- Don't touch kelp holdfasts on tidepool walks.
- Never feed wildlife — human food changes behaviour and shortens lives.
- Don't share exact locations of nests, dens or rare species online.
Spotted here lately
Live from iNaturalist — research-grade observations within 40km, last 30 days.
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