Montara State Marine Reserve and Pillar Point State Marine Conservation Area
Six native species found nowhere else in the world live in the waters between Montara and Pillar Point. They inhabit shallow nearshore reefs of shale and granite, seagrass beds, giant kelp forests, and rock pinnacles that most people driving Highway 1 never think about. The Montara State Marine Reserve and Pillar Point State Marine Conservation Area together protect 18.42 square miles of ocean along the San Mateo County coast, an underwater landscape as biologically rich as anything on shore, and considerably less visible.
Built by the People Who Use It
These marine protected areas did not come from bureaucratic fiat. They emerged from the Marine Life Protection Act Initiative, a collaborative process that took years to complete. The North Central Coast Regional Stakeholder Group -- local divers, commercial fishermen, recreational anglers, conservationists, and marine scientists -- designed the network of protected areas together, balancing the preservation of sensitive habitats with the livelihoods and recreation that depend on them. The result, adopted by the California Department of Fish and Game in August 2009 as part of the MLPAI's second phase, took effect on May 1, 2010. The Montara SMR and Pillar Point SMCA are two of 22 marine protected areas established along the north central coast during this effort.
Tide Pools and Kelp Forests
Moss Beach, within the Montara reserve, is a hotspot of intertidal biodiversity. The tide pools contain mussels, barnacles, nudibranchs, starfish, and crabs in remarkable variety. Below the tideline, the habitat diversifies further: prickleback eels navigate shale crevices, sharks and rays patrol the deeper reef structures, and giant kelp forests sway in the current, providing shelter for hundreds of species. The Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, one of the best-known tide pool destinations in Northern California, lies within the marine reserve's boundaries, gaining additional protection from the offshore restrictions. The rules differ between the two zones. The Montara SMR prohibits all take of living marine resources. The Pillar Point SMCA allows limited exceptions: trolling and seining for pelagic finfish, trapping Dungeness crab, and hand-dipping for market squid.
Mavericks, Whales, and the View from Above
Just outside the conservation area, the giant waves of Mavericks break off Pillar Point, drawing big-wave surfers from around the world. Point Montara Light Station stands on the headland with its historic lighthouse. Gray whales pass through these waters on their annual migration, and watchers on the bluff above Gray Whale Cove State Beach can sometimes spot them. The marine protected areas encourage kayaking, diving, snorkeling, and swimming -- the restrictions apply to taking marine life, not to experiencing it. Scientific monitoring, modeled on studies in the Santa Barbara Channel Islands that detected gradual improvements in fish size and number, is tracking whether these protections produce similar results. The early evidence from similar reserves elsewhere in California suggests that given enough time and enough protection, the ocean rebuilds itself.
From the Air
Located at 37.51°N, 122.53°W offshore from Montara to Pillar Point. The marine reserve extends three nautical miles offshore and is not directly visible, but its boundaries correspond to the coastline between Montara State Beach and Pillar Point Harbor. Mavericks surf break is visible as large wave action off Pillar Point. Half Moon Bay Airport (KHAF) is approximately 3 nm south-southeast. San Francisco International (KSFO) is 14 nm north.