Note: If we have to change a dive location or cancel a dive due to conditions, a member of the Board will post a notice to our Facebook Group about the change. If a dive is canceled, the club will try to connect RSVP holders with each other. The club cautions divers to consider the reason for the cancellation and make safe personal decisions; if they decide to dive, it is as individuals not as a club dive.
Divers can consult the CDIP Swell model, Monterey & Carmel Marine forecast, and other info sources (Windy, Aquarius’s Conditions page) especially if planning a long drive to join us.
Finally, if you’re planning to attend this dive, please contact the dive coordinators at
divecoordinator@montereybayseaotters.org (or text Corey at 530-867-3255) so we may easily meet up on the morning of the dive!
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Butterfly House is located at the intersection of Scenic Road and Stewart Way in Carmel-by- the-Sea. There is a large expensive house there with an odd roof that resembles a butterfly perched on the rocks overlooking a small cove. Parking is on the street and we access the beach by descending an eroding goat path down to the water. The goat path to the water is not for the meek, so it is one of the more difficult dives we will attempt this year.
There are no restrooms at this site, so if you are diving dry you may want to stop in to the port-a-potty located just along the road in at Carmel River Beach. We will meet up at the intersection and observe conditions before doing a briefing and gearing up. However, the site is beautiful and one of the nicest shore dives in Carmel. There are very large granite pinnacles and chutes to explore. There are large and abundant fish species here as well as lots of invertebrate life. This is a good dive to bring your camera and, if the visibility looks promising, a wide- angle lens.
If this site is not diveable, we will retreat to a backup site. Please RSVP if you are coming by email to info@montereybayseaotters.org, and meet at the intersection. Please RSVP for dives to the dive coordinator at info@montereybayseaotters.org!
Skill Level: Intermediate or better
Location: At the intersection of Scenic Road and Stewart Way in Carmel. Limited parking. Access: Drive west on Rio Road from Hwy. 1, turn left on Santa Lucia, and make a left on Scenic Road. Make a left on Stewart Way, and find legal parking near the intersection. Amenities: No facilities nearby (it’s a residential neighborhood.)
Entry and Exit: The beach is a short, but steep, walk down a narrow trail just north of Butterfly House. Enter and exit from the small beach. Kayaks may be launched here, but not boats.
Depth Range: 15 to 60 feet.
Conditions: Highly variable.
Visibility: Generally good, 30 to 40 feet.
Photography: Great macro and wide-angle.
Cautions: Watch for rocks in the surf line, surge and thick kelp.
Site Info from California Diving News:
https://cadivingnews.com/dive-spots/carmels-butterfly-house-beach/