MontereyBayWhaleCruise.com
Title
Monterey Bay Whale Watch - Whale Watching Trips
Description
Located along the central California coast, Monterey Bay contains the largest and deepest submarine canyon in North America and it's one of the few canyons that bisects the coastline so close to shore. This allows deep water species of marine mammals and seabirds to be found relatively near shore and accessible for day whale watches. This region is extremely productive and rich biologically due to coastal upwelling and bathymetric features. Monterey Bay's continental shelf and submarine canyon support a variety of habitats with one of the highest diversities of marine mammals in the world. Twenty-six species of marine mammals have been observed here, including five species of seals and sea lions, the southern sea otter and 94 species of seabirds.
The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is the largest United States National Marine Sanctuary, encompassing 5,312 square miles extending from the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary in the north to San Simeon, south of Big Sur. This extremely rich area centers around the Monterey Submarine Canyon, comparable in size and shape to the Grand Canyon. The canyon extends over 50 miles offshore, reaching depths near 12,000 feet.
The central California coast is one of only five major upwelling regions in the world. Upwelling is a phenomenon where cold nutrient-rich water is driven to the surface due to wind, the angle of the coastline, and the rotation of the earth. This cold deep water is filled with nutrients, and during the spring when the northwest winds blow, this rich water is brought to the surface and with fuel from the sun creates surface plankton blooms. This plankton forms the basis of the food chain for all marine animals. Whales, dolphins, and seabirds concentrate in the waters of central California including Monterey Bay to feed on an abundance of krill, fish, and squid supported by these intense plankton blooms.
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