Monterey
Monterey County is a premiere
destination for those who love the outdoors. Biking, hiking, walking, boating,
hang-gliding and animal watching are just a few of the activities
that lure visitors to Monterey. Whether you want to
watch the whales or climb a mountain, walk the Recreation Trail or dive
the depths, there can be no more spectacular place to enjoy the outdoors
than Monterey County.
Whale watching on the Monterey Bay is a year-round activity. Summer means the arrival of two spectacular marine species—the acrobatic humpback whales and the sleek blue whales, the largest mammal on Earth. In winter and spring, you can observe the annual migration of gray whales as they pass along the coastline. Most gray whales travel over 10,000 miles a year—farther than any other mammal—migrating between Arctic feeding grounds and Baja California breeding grounds.
The Monterey Bay
Aquarium sits at the heart of a world-famous coastline, where a lifetime
of adventures 
await you. Here, you'll find a coast to kayak, miles
of welcoming beaches, hiking and cycling trails, museums, California missions
and historic Cannery Row.
The aquarium project was initiated in 1977 by a group of four marine biologists at Stanford's Hopkins Marine Station in Pacific Grove. The permanent exhibits are a walk through Monterey Bay's beautiful natural communities.
The aquarium opened October 20, 1984. In 1996, the exhibit space almost doubled with the opening of the Outer Bay Wing, devoted to the open ocean and deep sea. The main feature is the Outer Bay Waters exhibit, the one-million-gallon tank containing tuna, sharks, ocean sunfish and sea turtles. About 1.8 million people visit the aquarium each year.
Sport fishing is
one of the favorite activities of visitors and residents of the Peninsula.
Whether out on the bay or off the banks of the Carmel River, fishermen find
Monterey County a paradise.
For deep sea fishing out on the bay, boats depart daily, year-round. Salmon,
albacore, rock cod, lingcod, halibut and rockfish are some of the fish that
populate the bay.
Several companies charter
fishing trips. See whales, salmon fish or deep sea fish with Chris' Fishing
Trips featuring four quality boats and experienced skippers who know the
bay. Try Randy's Fishing and Whale Watching Trips or Monterey Sportfishing
Whale Watching Cruises for unforgettable marine adventures.
Many local recreation areas also permit fishing. Cachagua Community Park and Los Padres Reservoir in Cachagua, Marina State Beach and Open Space Preserve in Marina, Lover's Point Park and Asilomar State Beach in Pacific Grove, and Arroyo Seco Recreation Area on the edge of the Ventana Wilderness about 15 miles from King City.