[5] No living marine resources may be taken from these areas, except from 'Carmel Bay SMCA', and from there only recreational fishing for finfish and limited "by hand" commercial harvesting of giant kelp and bull kelp, by permit.

[6] The first Europeans to discover the bay were Spanish mariners led by Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo in 1542, sailing up the California coast without landing.

In 1602, Spanish explorer Sebastián Vizcaíno named the nearby "Rio de Carmelo" to honor the three Carmelite priests on his expedition; the river empties into the bay, and so the names Carmelo and Carmel were later applied to the bay, a mission, the settlement, and other nearby features.

[8] The wet season is from October to May, and summers are often overcast, the sun blocked by marine layer clouds which can produce drizzle.

September and October (Indian Summer) offer the best weather of the year, with an average high of 72 °F.