In this week’s featured video, we visit a place so diverse and rich in underwater life, it’s been dubbed the “Serengeti of the Sea.”

Each year, more than 65,000 divers visit California’s Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. And after watching this video, it’s easy to understand why. Not only is this area home to vibrant marine life – 34 species of marine mammals and more than 525 species of fish – it also has some incredibly accessible dive sites, often ranked as some of the top shore dives in the country.

If you’re diving in Monterey, don’t forget your camera. Once a year, it plays host to the Monterey Shootout, an underwater photo competition put on by the Northern California Underwater Photographic Society. Divers from around the globe compete in a 24-hour period to capture the extraordinary underwater perspectives of the sanctuary.

Planning a visit to Monterey Bay? You can search for a PADI Dive Shop by using the PADI Dive Shop Locator.

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