Asilomar State Marine Reserve, and Pacific Grove Marine Gardens State Marine Conservation Area

The Monterey Canyon is located near both of these MPAs. This deep submarine canyon reaches nearly 12,000 feet at its deepest point, almost twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. Upwelling causes cold, nutrient-rich waters to rise from the depths of the canyon into the MPAs and the surrounding area, creating a remarkably productive ecosystem. The nutrient-rich waters teem with phytoplankton and zooplankton such as krill at certain times of the year. These small plants and animals anchor the food web. Schools of northern anchovies seasonally feast on the plankton, as do other baitfish that are prey items for larger fish, seabirds, and marine mammals.

These MPAs feature extensive tidepools where crabs, anemones, mussels, urchins, and sea stars abound, while harbor seals give birth and nurture their pups on the sandy beaches. Just offshore, the sandy shores transition to surfgrass beds, rocky boulders, and kelp forests that provide shelter for sea otters, sea lions and many fish species like lingcod, surfperch, cabezon, and blue rockfish. The rocky cliffs that line the coast offer great vantage points for whale watching: blue, gray, and humpback whales are commonly seen along with orcas and the occasional ocean sunfish. Marine mammals often spend long periods of time in Monterey Bay, and pods of orcas, dolphins, and migrating whales use the area as a travel corridor.

For centuries, Native American Tribes in California have relied on marine and coastal resources. Many Native American Tribes in California continue to regularly harvest marine resources within their ancestral territories and maintain relationships with the coast for ongoing customary uses. The Monterey Peninsula has a long history of human residence, with the Ohlone peoples occupying the area for thousands of years. The Ohlone traditional diet consists of abalone, urchins, limpets, and seaweeds found in rocky intertidal areas.

The first European visitor was the Spanish explorer Sebastian Vizcaino, who named the area Bahia de Monterey after anchoring his fleet in the calm waters near Lovers Point. In the period following Vizcaino’s brief visit, Monterey remained free from significant European influence until the Portola Expedition of 1769, which signified the beginning of California’s Mission era. The construction of Mission Carmel on the southern side of the Monterey Peninsula occurred one year later in 1770. Following the Mexican-American War, Congress ordered the building of Point Pinos Lighthouse, which opened in 1855. It remains the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the West Coast, with the original lens still in use.

A few decades later, the City of Pacific Grove was founded in 1875, becoming a thriving fishing hub in the 19th century. Chinese immigrants played a large role in expanding fishing with the harvest of abalone, rockfish, flatfish, sardines, and squid. Between 1915 and 1950, 235,000 tons of sardine were fished from the bay every year, until the fishery collapsed in the 1950s. Similar collapses of other fish stocks resulted in more stringent fishing regulations. As conservation and protection efforts strengthened, the Pacific Grove Marine Gardens SMCA and Asilomar SMR were established in 2007 as two of the 29 MPAs adopted along California's central coast.

Pacific Grove Marine Gardens SMCA and Asilomar SMR are more exposed to ocean waves than other Monterey area MPAs. While less ideal for kayaking, tidepooling at low tide reveals the wealth of sea life along this coast. The SMCA also provides rewarding diving during calm conditions. Recreational anglers are allowed to take finfish as long as all other regulations (seasons, size limits, bag limits, etc.) are followed. The Asilomar Coast Trail offers stunning views of the SMR. Parking is available along Sunset Drive and Spanish Bay Road, or in local parking lots.

Asilomar State Beach, a stunning sandy beach stretching for one mile and interspersed with rocky tidepools, sits adjacent to Asilomar SMR. Asilomar State Beach is a great place for watching wildlife, kayaking, and surfing. Fishing is not allowed, but curious visitors can peer into tidepools teeming with colorful sea stars, sea anemones, limpets, and barnacles.

Restaurants, lodging, and other amenities, including the world-renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium, are within easy reach of these MPAs, as are the cities of Pacific Grove and Monterey to the east.

Asilomar SMR

This area is bounded by the mean high tide line and straight lines connecting the following points in the order listed:

36° 38.226' N. lat. 121° 56.159' W. long.;
36° 38.314' N. lat. 121° 56.292' W. long.;
36° 38.900' N. lat. 121° 56.600' W. long.; and
36° 36.554' N. lat. 121° 57.518' W. long.

California Code of Regulations Title 14, Section 632(b)(78)(opens in new tab)

Pacific Grove Marine Gardens SMCA

This area is bounded by the mean high tide line and straight lines connecting the following points in the order listed:

36° 37.600′ N. lat. 121° 54.919′ W. long.;
36° 37.600′ N. lat. 121° 54.750′ W. long.;
36° 38.700′ N. lat. 121° 55.400′ W. long.;
36° 38.900′ N. lat. 121° 56.600′ W. long.;
36° 38.314′ N. lat. 121° 56.292′ W. long.; and
36° 38.226′ N. lat. 121° 56.159′ W. long.

California Code of Regulations Title 14, Section 632(b)(77)(opens in new tab)

Downloads for Asilomar State Marine Reserve

Map

Facts, Map & Regulations

Downloads for Pacific Grove Marine Gardens State Marine Conservation Area

Map

Facts, Map & Regulations