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Whale Watching & More at Fisherman’s Wharf
Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey is busy, busy, busy. The minute you step foot here, the sounds, smells and sights will inundate you. On the surface, Fisherman’s Wharf may seem like a typical tourist trap, with shops hawking the usual souvenirs, t-shirts and knick-knacks. But don’t let that stop you from exploring this charming venue. Fisherman’s Wharf has so much more to offer. It is full of history, beauty, and adventure, a must-see when visiting Monterey.
Fisherman’s Wharf has a long and colorful history. In 1602 a Spanish nobleman named Conde de Monterey sent a mariner to explore the area. After discovering the beautiful harbor, the mariner named it Monterey after his employer. California remained under Spanish control with Monterey as its capital until 1822 when Mexico took over. After the Mexican American War in 1846, it became the property of the United States. Monterey remained the capital of California for a full year, until 1847. You can view the original historical Custom House adjacent to the Wharf.
In 1845, Thomas Larkin began construction on what would become Fisherman’s Wharf. In 1870, the Pacific Coast Steamship Company completed the Wharf. As the fishing industry grew after the turn of the century, especially the sardine industry, the city of Monterey purchased the Wharf and began to expand it. After World War II, Fisherman’s Wharf converted to a tourist-oriented area.
Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey is known as the whale watching capital of the world, drawing nearly 4 million visitors a year. Gray whales, killer whales, humpback whales, blue whales and a plethora of other sea creatures can be seen here. Fisherman’s Wharf is part of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. You can often spot whales off the shore, where they feed on plankton krill, squid and anchovies. For a closer view, whale cruises are available directly from the Wharf. Deep-sea fishing trips are also available.
Fisherman’s Wharf is home to a charming plethora of wonderful restaurants. Some of the best fresh local seafood is available here, including abalone, Dungeness crab, oysters, California prawns, squid, and halibut. Many of the restaurants here have been in the same families for generations. Several restaurants have both quaint outdoor seating as well as ocean views inside. Many offer free samples of their delicious clam chowder!
Fisherman’s Wharf also features a glorious array of coastal blooms. It is a flower lover’s paradise, especially in the spring. Eye-catching blossoms in a rainbow of colors abound. I absolutely love the beautiful flowers here!
Fisherman’s Wharf is also a great place to people watch, beach comb, and explore the spectacular coastal recreational trail. You can often see and hear sea lions barking in the bay. The stunning views and vibes are priceless.
There are many benches available to just sit, relax, and take in the inspiring vistas.
Santa Rosalia is the patron saint of the Italian fisherman who came to Monterey at the beginning of the 20th century. 
The coastal recreational path runs right past Fisherman’s Wharf. For more information on Fisherman’s Wharf, see City of Monterey, Monterey Wharf, or See Monterey.
I hope you get to visit Fisherman’s Wharf! Thank you for visiting my blog. Wishing you peace, love, happiness & beautiful vistas!
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Cannery Row: What to See & Do!
The view from McAbee Beach cameos some of Cannery Row’s fabulous restaurants and shops. If you are visiting Monterey, Cannery Row is probably one of the top things on your bucket list. Full of colorful history and nestled next to the picturesque bay, it is a must see. To understand this area, first a little history. Monterey, California was once the sardine capital of the world. The first sardine cannery was built by Frank Booth at Fishermen’s Wharf in 1896, and was soon followed by a rival Japanese sardine plant at Cannery Row called the Pacific Fish Company. Fishing boats loaded sardines into floating wooden hoppers, and they were sucked ashore through massive pipes. At Cannery Row, once called Ocean View Avenue, more than eighteen canneries eventually worked around the clock to fill sardine tins. John Steinbeck described the scene in his book, Cannery Row: “The whole street rumbles and groans and screams and rattles while the silver rivers of fish pour in out of the boats and the boats rise higher and higher in the water until they are empty. Then from the town pour men and women in trousers and rubber coats and oilcloth aprons. They come running to clean and cut and pack and cook and can the fish.” The overhead bridges allowed fish to be moved from one side of the factory to the other, and remain a testament to Monterey’s history. Unfortunately, overfishing led to the collapse of the sardine industry, and by the mid-1950s, Monterey turned to tourism to replace the sardine industry.
The rear view of the Aquarium is much more interesting than the front view! What to See & Do
1. EXPERIENCE THE AQUARIUM
The #1 thing to see here is the amazing Monterey Bay Aquarium. Because it is so magical and fantastic, I actually dedicated an entire blog post to it with tons of information, see Aquarium.
2. SEE STEINBECK’S OLD STOMPING GROUNDS
As you are strolling along, you may notice a dull and rather unassuming little building sandwiched in between the storefronts at 800 Cannery Row. This building was once home to the Pacific Biological Laboratories owned by marine biologist Ed Ricketts. Ricketts was a good friend of famous writer John Steinbeck. Together, Steinbeck and Ricketts spent much time together at “Doc’s Lab”, as it was known, preserving specimens and talking about philosophy. It has been said that Steinbeck’s biological and scientific training supported his notion of all humans as part of a greater ecosystem and his focus on the environment in his writing. Ricketts influenced several of his novels, including Cannery Row, Sweet Thursday, In Dubious Battle, The Grapes of Wrath, The Moon is Down, and The Sea of Cortez. The city of Monterey schedules free public tours of the building throughout the year. For more information, call 831-646-5640 or see Free Tours.
3. EAT AND DRINK
Foodies will love the plethora of restaurants available, including fresh seafood at The Fish Hopper, The iconic Sardine Factory, Lalla Oceanside Grill, the Whaling Station, and the C Restaurant & Bar, along with many, many more. If you choose a waterfront restaurant, be sure to ask for a table with an ocean view. You may be able to see sea lions, harbor seals, sea otters, dolphins, or even whales while you eat your meal! For more information see Restaurants.
If you are keen-o for some vino, check out A Taste of Monterey, which is located near McAbee Beach and offers more than 90 local wines. Other great wine tasting rooms include Carmel Ridge Winery, Bargetto Winery, Blue Fox Cellars, and The Wine Experience. Have a glass or flight of wine while overlooking beautiful Monterey Bay. For more information, see Wine Tasting.
For all you beer enthusiasts (I hope my three brothers are reading this!) there is the Cannery Row Brewing Company, which has a warm pub feeling and offers lots of goodies to eat as well, including their signature giant pretzels. Located at 95 Prescott Ave. just two blocks from McAbee Beach, the brewery website states it “offers the second largest number of beers available on tap in Northern California and is the largest single outlet beer account in Monterey County.” Cheers to those beers!
4. GO SHOPPING
Cannery Row is also home to over 85 shops within a four to five block area including boutiques, art galleries, jewelry and antique stores, candy shops, and gourmet food stores. My personal favorite is the Olive Bar. You can taste over 70 different varieties of olive oil and balsamic vinegar or peruse their gourmet food items and cute home and kitchen decor.
5. ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS
If your little whippersnappers get tired and bored looking at all the aforementioned shops, there are a couple of places they may enjoy. For kids and kids at heart, there is a Mirror Maze and Lazer Challenge and a Spirit of Monterey Wax Museum, both located just down the street from the Aquarium.
6. BIKE, KAYAK & PADDLE BOARD
For those of you interested in more physical activities, there are bike, kayak and paddle board rentals available so you can explore the area by both land and sea. Adventures By The Sea is conveniently located right next to the Recreation Trail and across the street from the beach where the kayaks are launched. Here you can rent family four-wheel bikes (called surreys), electric bikes and more. They offer group and private kayak tours of Cannery Row, paddle board lessons, and also bike tours of 17-Mile Drive. For more information, see By The Sea. Big Sur Adventures, located at 125 Ocean View Blvd, near the Aquarium, also offers bike rentals and tours. For more information, see Big Sur.
I hope you enjoy visiting Cannery Row! Wishing you peace, love, happiness, and beautiful vistas!
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Adventures at the Monterey Bay Aquarium
Located next to the ocean in historic Cannery Row, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is bursting at the seams with fantastical sea creatures. It is full of wonderful adventures just waiting to happen!
The jellyfish are my favorites! These sea nettles trail their long tentacles in order to catch plankton. Stinging cells on their tentacles paralyze the prey so they can move it to their mouths for a sea snack.
The Moon jelly, or Medusa luna, is so beautiful, I can’t stop staring!
Another attraction at the aquarium is the giant kelp forest. You may inadvertently find yourself swaying side to side with the gently moving kelp as fish swim peacefully by and huge silvery schools of sardines swirl in the light. The 28-foot high forest is one of the tallest in the world.
These Tube anemones anchor themselves two feet or more into the sand so that if a predator threatens them they can quickly disappear!
“I’d like to be, under the sea, in an octopus’s garden, in the shade”, goes the Beatles song. You may find yourself humming along to this tune when you see the octopus’s garden at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. At least I did.
Monterey Bay Aquarium even has penguins! You can learn so much about them during the twice-daily penguin feeding times. These penguins are from South Africa and are fast and agile swimmers. They are super cute!
Strawberry anemone and other sea creatures appear so magical and mesmerizing. This just makes me want to be a mermaid so I can live somewhere this pretty.
A sagacious stingray (we don’t know if he really is wise, but I think he probably is!) glides through a school of sardines or anchovies. I still have trouble discerning the difference between those two teenie weenie fishes. We are told that anchovies swim with their tails going up and down, and sardines swim with their tails going side to side. It’s hard to tell from a distance!
A leopard shark cruises the kelp forest, looking for worms, clams, and other creatures to suck from the sand.
Of course, there is nothing cuter than sea otters. The sea otters at the aquarium are rescued animals unable to survive in the wild. It is so fun to watch them frolic and play in the water. The aquarium runs a wonderful program that saves sea otters by rescuing, treating and releasing injured otters, providing surrogate parents for stranded pups, and finding homes for sea otters who can’t return to wild. Sea otters almost became extinct in the early 1900s because they were hunted for their soft, luxurious fur. As a result, in California, there were only about 50 sea otters by the 1930s. Although the population has grown over the years, conservation efforts continue to preserve this adorable and beloved endangered species.
Where: Monterey Bay Aquarium is located at 886 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA 93940
Admission: Adults aged 18-64 are $49.95, Children ages 3-12 are $29.95 and under 3 free. Students are $34.95 ages 13-17 or with college ID. Seniors 65+ are also $39.95
Hours: 10 am to 5 pm daily
Phone: 831-648-4800
Website: Monterey Aquarium
Helpful Info:
- Refreshments are available on site at a restaurant, cafe and coffee bar inside the Aquarium
- Daily Shows & Feedings provide fun educational experiences for all ages, including sea otter, penguin, open sea, kelp forest, and seabird feedings
- Parking is available in numerous parking garages in the area and there is metered street parking
- The entire aquarium is wheelchair accessible
- Tons of educational, fun and hands-on experiences for children
- If you want to avoid the crowds, I recommend going between 2 pm and 5 pm on weekdays
- If you are staying at a local hotel, check for partner deals with the aquarium including 2-day tickets for the price of 1-day
Thank you for visiting my blog! Wishing you peace, love, happiness, and beautiful vistas!