Monterey Bay

The first European to enter Monterey Bay was Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo on November 16, 1542, while sailing northward along the coast on an imperial Spanish naval expedition.

On December 10, 1595, Sebastián Rodríguez Cermeño crossed the bay and bestowed the name Bahía de San Pedro in honor of Saint Peter Martyr.

[2][3] The present name for the bay was given in 1602 by Sebastián Vizcaíno, who had been tasked by the Spanish government to complete a detailed chart of the coast.

Many species of fish, sharks, mollusks such as abalone and squid, birds, and sea turtles also live in the bay.

Inland communities are indented: Apple's desktop operating system, macOS Monterey, is named after this region.

Map of the Monterey Bay Area, depicting roads, urban areas, major rivers, and forested and grassy areas
Gaspar de Zúñiga, 5th Count of Monterrey , namesake of Monterey Bay.
Monterey Bay, California
Cormorant "condo" in Monterey Bay
The Monterey Bay, as seen from space, stretches from Santa Cruz in the north to the Monterey Peninsula in the south