Coastline at the Monterey Peninsula and Carmel Icon Point Lobos State Preserve in California
Point Lobos is the common name for the area including Point Lobos State Natural Reserve and two adjoining marine protected areas: Point Lobos State Marine Reserve (SMR) and Point Lobos State Marine Conservation Area (SMCA). Point Lobos is just south of the town of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, United States on the coast of the Pacific Ocean but north of Big Sur. Point Lobos contains a number of hiking trails, many next to the ocean, and a smaller number of beaches. It is the site of a historic marine reserve, which was expanded in 2007. It is also the home to a museum on whaling, which includes a historic building once used by area fishermen. The longstanding wildlife protection and scenic seascape have led to Point Lobos' reputation as an unparalleled local recreational scuba diving destination. The iconic Point Lobos area is geologically unique and contains a rich and diverse plant and animal life both on shore and in the water. Called the “greatest meeting of land and water in the world” by landscape artist Francis McComas, Point Lobos is considered a crown jewel in the California state park system. The precipitous drop in the ocean floor off Point Lobos (reaching depths characteristic of the mid Pacific Ocean within a few kilometres of shore) gives rise to unique tidal effects, with unusually high levels of oxygen being injected into the ocean water. This in turn attracts an unusual variety of plant and animal marine life, ranging from high plankton concentrations, moving up the food chain to marine mammals.
Size: 5111px × 3407px
Location: Coastline at the Monterey Peninsula and Carmel Icon Point Lobos State Preserve in California
Photo credit: © Ian Grant / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: beach, big, blue, burns, california, carmel, central, china, clif, cliffs, coast, coastal, coastline, conservation, county, cove, crash, crashing, cypress, davenport, diving, dusk, ecological, gap, garrapata, geology, habitat, kelp, lion, lobos, marine, monterey, motion, movement, natural, nature, ocean, opening, outdoors, pacific, park, parks, pch, point, preserve, public, reserve, rock, rocks, rocky, sea, seascape, shore, shoreline, state, surf, time, trees, water, wave, wavesaquatic
