Coast Guard Wharf

This is my favorite spot in Monterey and it’s free! I’m pretty sure it has the best view of wildlife. You can always see sea lions and seals here. There a ton of them hanging out on the rocks at the end of the walkway. There are less of them in the wintertime, but they are still there.
The water is so clear and clean that you can see starfish. Some days, you can see jellyfish as well.
One time, I saw a mom and baby otter! The baby was floating on top of the mom and the mom was grooming the baby. It was the best thing I’ve ever seen.
This is a beautiful spot to view the animals in the ocean. I highly recommend it and think it is a must see location in Monterey.
Heads up, it can be really stinky!
Both the pier and launch ramp is accessible by my wheelchair.

As a day tourist in the Monterey area I thought this was perfect to eat up a little bit of of time. You can walk along the pier and see the tons of seals that sunbathe on the rocks. Nice little free activity on a nice day.
Walking distance from a little beach and cannery row.

Connected to the breakwater (constructed 1932 – 1934, thanks largely to efforts by Harry A. Greene, or «Breakwater Harry,» one of Monterey’s more prominent men), this pier is nothing fancy. It has a handful of commercial businesses plus a Coast Guard Station. A wonderful place for viewing sea lions, pelicans, cormorants, jellies (aka jelly“fish”) and other marine & coastal beasts (low tide & a reasonably sharp eye can also yield crabs, star“fish”/sea stars, & other intertidal critters). Look for sea otters, too. If you’re into fishing, you won’t find yourself alone here (not sure what the permit system is). Be sure to properly dispose of lines & lures & whatnot, as they take a toll when they get mixed up with the wildlife. Go to the very (far) end of the pier for the best chance of seeing sea lions, pelicans, and cormorants (nesting cormorants, if you’re there the right time of year – spring, as I recall). You’ll also see divers, kayakers, and all kinds of recreational activities nearby.

I came here a couple of times to fish with my boyfriend. It’s a great place to go fishing here, if you don’t mind getting your line snagged by the kelp a lot. The water here is SO clean compared to San Francisco’s. You get to see sea animals here too, like sea otters and sea lions. Sometimes the sea lions just lay by the rocks so you can see them up close! The sea otters also swim by with their little pups. It’s very cute. The people I’ve met here are very friendly. There are also a lot of scuba divers here too, so be careful for them if you’re fishing here. Highly recommend this place for fishing!

The center of the scuba diving universe in Northern and Central California.
If someone learns to dive, in either of these regions, they will spend a weekend at the Breakwater, rolling around in the surf and gawking, wide-​eyed, at the sight of the ocean from behind their newly-​purchased mask while sucking their tanks try and happily stirring up the sandy bottom during their open-​water checkout sessions.
I’ve been told, but can’t verify first-​hand, that there’s quite the gear cornucopia to be found after a busy weekend of classes but I can say, to my considerable surprise, that a good northwest swell will easily move the heaviest trailers as they recover their boats at the end of a days activities.

The Coast Guard wharf is a project from the Great Depression. It was constructed so that a longer Coast Guard cutter could dock at Monterey and not be knocked around by the waves of the bay. The USCG still uses the wharf to launch sea rescues or surprise boat inspections with their modern day watercraft. NOAA also keeps a research vessel docked at the Coast Guard wharf. People are allowed onto the wharf to sightsee, or gaze upon the resident sea lions which live on the breakwater portion of the wharf. The seals do get ripe, so don’t go if you’ve just had your lunch. It’s a nicer wharf compared to the fisherman’s wharf next door.