Metridium Field

Location:  Intersection of Cannery Row and Reeside Ave., Monterey, CA

Skill Level:  Intermediate

Attraction: Underwater Photography, Sightseeing

Entry/Exit:  There is a small park above the beach, offering a great staging area for assembling and removing gear.  From this park, walk down a small flight of stairs to the beach.  The beach is mostly protected from strong surges and currents.  The entry is very easy on a slow sloping sandy beach.  The only hazards are a few small rocks scattered just after the breakers.  These are easily avoided for a smooth entry. 

Exits are just as simple, the beach is slow sloping with only a few small rocks to watch out for.  Once on the beach, you can walk up a small flight of stairs and remove your gear at the park.  You may even get air fills from a mobile air fill station in the park’s parking lot or from Monterey Bay Dive Center, about 100 foot walk from the park.

Dive Briefing:  There are a few different routes one may go once entering this point.  You may go south towards the aquarium and swim among the many old pipelines once used by the canneries that now form a great natural reef.  The water is about 20-40 ft. deep.  Kelp grows very thick in this area so be careful not to get tangled.  If you go straight out to the open water, past the kelp beds, you will find boulders covered with metridium anemones.  The water here can be 50-70 ft. deep. Be very careful of boat traffic in this area.  Diving off of a boat is recommended to alert boat traffic of your presence.  Also be aware that this is a popular check-out dive site for many dive shops.  Try to avoid their classes and get mixed up with students.  The visibility here is only fair.  I experienced 15 ft. at best, but it still proved to be an excellent dive.

 Facilities:  The park above the beach has showers and restrooms.  There is a portable air fill station in the parking lot that operates out of the back of a truck.  They charge $4 per fill.  There is a great dive shop only about 100 ft. from the park on Cannery Row called Monterey Bay Dive Center.  They Charge only $3.50 for air fill and rent and repair dive gear.  There is food available on Cannery Row as wee as in the nearby marina.  Parking is scarce and expensive.  For the most part, there is metered parking that has a 2 hour maximum.  It costs 25 cents for 15 minutes.  The parking is strictly enforced.  It is recommended that you get there early to find a good spot.

 Permits/Licenses:  None Required