Del Monte Beach

Del Monte Beach is a long, sandy stretch of Monterey shoreline running east from Wharf #2 into Monterey State Beach. The wharf casts a wave shadow across the western end of the beach, and the sand bottom offshore of that shadow is flat and soft, with eelgrass carpeting the sea floor at about 15 to 25 feet. A sunken sailboat sits at roughly 25 feet, and a rusted World War II-era amtrack, an amphibious tracked landing vehicle, lies on the bottom about 40 yards from the sailboat on a 220-degree heading. Farther offshore, features called Shale Island and Tanker Reef extend the site out to around 35 feet.

The protected entry through the wharf's wave shadow is a surf zone biome, with the swell picking up as the beach curves east away from the wharf. Eelgrass carpeting the sand bottom offshore makes this a seagrass biome. Del Monte Beach is used as the training site of choice by Northern California dive schools, and the flat sand, minimal current, and shallow wrecks make it an easy shore entry for open-water classes, snorkelers, kayakers, and freedivers. Rental kayaks from Monterey Bay Kayaks cross the surface above the site, so a surface float is standard practice.

Parking is a free lot off Casa Verde Way, a paid lot at the foot of Wharf #2 that puts divers closest to the primary entry, and metered spots along Del Monte Avenue. Restrooms and outdoor showers sit near the Wharf #2 area, and the walk from the farther lots is a long gear haul across sand. Del Monte Beach is outside all California marine protected areas, so fishing and spearfishing are legal here under standard California regulations.