Butterfly House

Butterfly House lies at Scenic Road and Stewart Way at the south end of Carmel and is often described as an ideal example of kelp forest diving. Large boulders and dense kelp rise from 60 ft or more, and the distant kelp bed about 200 yards from shore is where divers find California hydrocorals. The shallows are worthwhile too, though surgy, and the big rocks can throw off navigation on the way back. A steep, narrow path leads down to the beach, and street parking is limited to a few cars. Shallow rocks off the beach create surf when a swell is running.