Point Lobos — Whalers & Bluefish Coves
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, Carmel · near Carmel / Monterey · Central Coast
Scuba & Snorkel
At a glance
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Depth
- 100
- Water temperature
- 50–60°F · 7mm wetsuit + hood/gloves or drysuit
- Best season
- Year-round · fall clearest
Permits and booking
- Permit required
- Yes
- How the permit works
- Reservation REQUIRED — a strict daily diver quota controls access. Reserve well ahead via the Point Lobos reservation system. Diving limited to Whalers & Bluefish Coves; enter/exit only at the Whalers Cove ramp. Whalers lot holds ~15–20 cars and fills before opening — arrive by 7:30am. No-take reserve: no collecting.
What is here
- Marine life
- Sea otters & harbor seals · Giant lingcod & rockfish · Strawberry anemones & hydrocoral · Leopard sharks & bat rays in the sand
- Features
- 'Crown jewel' of the CA State Parks · 70-ft kelp forest cathedral · Fully protected no-take marine reserve · 3D underwater dive model at Whalers
Worth knowing
- Certification required
- Yes
- Dogs
- Not permitted
- Good for a first timer
- No
Scuba & Snorkel detail
- Dive type
- scuba · snorkel
- Entry
- shore
- Viz
- 15–30 ft (Whalers) to 80 ft (Bluefish)
- Intl tip
- Reserve a diving slot well in advance — daily quotas are strict. Get air fills in Monterey at opening (~7am) and race to Point Lobos to secure Whalers parking by 7:30. Bluefish needs a kayak or hand-launched boat (only craft allowed). Combine with the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Breakwater. Cold water — proper exposure protection is non-negotiable.
- Nickname
- The crown jewel of California diving
The guide
Point Lobos is the crown jewel of California diving — a fully protected marine reserve just south of Carmel where 70-foot kelp …
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Point Lobos — Whalers & Bluefish Coves — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 36.5216, -121.937