Carmel Bay is a

bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a Gulf (geography), gulf, sea, sound (geography), sound, or bight (geogra ...

of the Pacific Ocean, along the central coast of California in Monterey County. The bay is long and wide with its mouth about across, between Point Carmel to the south and Point Cypress to the north; Monterey Bay is about four coastline miles north, with Point Pinos intervening. The bay's coastline includes Carmel City Beach and Carmel River State Beach, with wildlife largely protected by the 'Carmel Bay Ecological Reserve'. The City of

Carmel Carmel may refer to: * Carmel (biblical settlement), an ancient Israelite town in Judea * Mount Carmel, a coastal mountain range in Israel overlooking the Mediterranean Sea * Carmelites, a Roman Catholic mendicant religious order Carmel may also ...

, formally "Carmel-by-the-Sea", adjoins Carmel Bay, with the cities of Monterey, Pacific Grove, California, and Santa Cruz about , , and north, respectively.

Marine protected areas

Several areas in Carmel Bay have been designated marine protected areas under California's Marine Life Protection Act. '

Carmel Bay State Marine Conservation Area Carmel Bay State Marine Conservation Area (SMCA) is a marine protected area in Carmel Bay. Carmel Bay is adjacent to the city of Carmel-by-the-Sea and is near Monterey, on California’s central coast. The marine protected area covers 2.12 squa ...

' (SMCA) is entirely underneath Carmel Bay, and both ' Carmel Pinnacles State Marine Reserve' (SMR) and ' Point Lobos State Marine Reserve' are partially underneath Carmel Bay. Along with the immediately adjoining '

Point Lobos State Marine Conservation Area Point Lobos and the Point Lobos State Natural Reserve is a state park in California. Adjoining Point Lobos is "one of the richest marine habitats in California." The ocean habitat is protected by two marine protected areas, the Point Lobos Sta ...

', nearly of marine protected areas in the waters in and around Carmel Bay are like underwater parks, helping to conserve ocean wildlife and marine ecosystems. No living marine resources may be taken from these areas, except from 'Carmel Bay SMCA', and from there only recreational fishing for

finfish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of liv ...

and limited "by hand" commercial harvesting of giant kelp and

bull kelp Bull kelp is a common name for the brown alga '' Nereocystis luetkeana'' which is a true kelp in the family Laminariaceae. Species in the genus '' Durvillaea'' are also sometimes called "bull kelp", but this is just a shortening of the common name ...

, by permit.

Toponymy

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 , image = , caption = Coat of arms of the Carmelites , abbreviation = OCarm , formation = Late 12th century , founder = Early hermits of Mount Carmel , founding_location = Mount Car ...

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.

Climate

The area around Carmel Bay experiences a cool summer Mediterranean climate ( Köppen climate classification ''Csb'') typical of coastal areas of California. 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. The average annual rainfall in Carmel-by-the-Sea is 15 inches per year and the average temperature is 57 degrees F.''The Weather Channel'' web site
Retrieved 2012-07-06
/ref>

Gallery

File:The beach at Carmel-by-the-Sea 2009-07-26.jpg, Carmel Bay on a foggy afternoon File:The beach at Carmel Bay, California.jpg, Carmel Bay on a sunny afternoon File:Carmel Bay, California.jpg, Carmel Bay from Carmel Point File:Carmel Bay.jpg, Carmel Bay from Scenic Road

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carmel Bay Bays of California Bodies of water of Monterey County, California Carmel-by-the-Sea, California Landforms of Monterey County, California