McAbee Beach

McAbee Beach is the smallest pocket beach on Cannery Row, a sand cove of under 0.25 acres on the Monterey waterfront. Peter McAbee ran a bathhouse and boat rental operation here in the early 1900s, before the cannery build-out swallowed most of the row's original sand accesses. The site takes its name from him. Depths run from about 5 to 15 feet close to shore, grading to around 35 feet at the outer edge of the cove. Rocky ledges frame both flanks of the beach, and old cannery boiler and steam-pipe remnants sit on the hard bottom.

The sandy entry inside the cove is a surf zone biome with mild wave action. Rocky ledges and cannery wreckage on the flanks form a rocky reef biome. Dense giant kelp immediately offshore inside the Edward F. Ricketts SMCA is a kelp forest biome, reachable on a short surface swim. The shallow depths and easy access make the site a scuba and snorkeling destination, and sea otters are common in the kelp mat offshore. The small footprint means the cove crowds fast on class days, and the tight kelp canopy calls for kelp-diving experience. Kayak and paddleboard tour operators from Cannery Row cross the water above the dive area, so a surface float is essential.

Parking is metered street parking on Cannery Row and Hoffman Avenue, and the El Torito restaurant lot has historically allowed dive parking for a fee of around $20, though its policy is worth confirming by phone. Restrooms sit in the uphill Cannery Row public parking garage, and wet gear is not allowed inside. Recreational take within the Edward F. Ricketts SMCA is limited to finfish by hook and line, so spearfishing is prohibited.