Combining wayfinding and art, the City of Capitola announces the latest enhancement to the historic Capitola Wharf. Bronze octopuses, sea stars, pelicans, sea turtles and rockfish now lead the way to seating areas, interpretive signage, vantage points and public binocular stations on the wharf, which predates the American Civil War. 

Two feet longer than San Francisco’s Transamerica Pyramid laid on its side, the Capitola Wharf reopened in 2024 following a year-long reconstruction after being partially demolished by rough waves during a winter storm in 2022. This latest embellishment of the wharf connects marine life in the Monterey Bay with visitor amenities on the 855-foot long structure. Local artist and foundry owner Sean Monaghan created the ADA-compliant designs as both instructional and artistic. Visitors to the wharf can make pencil rubbings of the bronze reliefs, which are embedded into the new pressure-treated Douglas fir planks along the length of the wharf. The overall $10.6 million construction project to rebuild and strengthen the wharf included an ornate entrance gate, interpretive panels, a new boat launch area, new restrooms, free mounted binocular stations, and interpretive signage about Monterey Bay, its wildlife and history. Nearly all of the wharf’s decking and railings were replaced and the structure was widened from 20 feet to 36 feet wide.