Tim Thomas

TIM THOMAS is a Monterey area Fisheries Historian. He is a popular speaker and lively tour guide. Tim decided early on in his life to focus on fisheries because Monterey Bay is so important, and everybody who lives here, everyone who came here, has been greatly impacted by the bay.

Tim is also an author of several books, “The Abalone King of Monterey”, “Monterey’s Waterfront”, and “The Japanese on the Monterey Peninsula.”

A fourth-generation native of Monterey Bay, he was born in Carmel and grew up in Pacific Grove. His interest in local history started when he was quite young. Tim says they did not teach local history when he was a kid, but he spent a lot of time on Cannery Row in the late ‘60s among the abandoned canneries. His interest in fishing history was sparked there. It was just something he says he wanted to know more about.

When the Monterey Bay Aquarium first opened in 1984, Tim got heavily involved in local historical ‘stuff’. He was brought in to help write some living history about whaling on Monterey Bay, for the Aquarium’s initial temporary exhibit entitled Whale Fest. That job led to his working as historian and curator at the nearby Maritime and History Museum for 16 years. Tim has also worked for California State Parks and the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.