UW Photography at Monastery (Carmel River Beach), Carmel

All the photos shown below were taken by Dana Nourie at Monastery (Carmel River Beach) over the course of several dives. This is my favorite dive site because of the dense population of wildlife, the bright variety of color, the bizarre steps leading down to rocky bottom in this kelp forest. Monastery also generally has open visibility, allowing for wide angle shots, and wonderful shots of the kelp itself. Just outside this forest, the site drops to depth very quickly, sloping down into a finger of the Monterey trench. One day I'll check out the trench, but it's hard to imagine this site getting any better than what I see in the kelp forest.

Blue Rockfish	Kelp	Star Garden
Bull Kelp	SunStar/Anemone	Kelp/Perch
Sand Steps	Kelp Holdfasts	Anemone
White Anemone	Wall of Color	Painted Greenling
Orange Sponge	Lingcod

Monastery Photos
More Monastery Photos
Pt. Lobos Reserve Photos
Breakwater Photos