Finding Dory takes place primarily in and around the Marine Life Institute, a fictional marine rehabilitation center inspired by real locations on California's Central Coast, specifically the Monterey Peninsula and Morro Bay. The story follows Dory's journey from the reef where she lives with Marlin and Nemo to the Marine Life Institute near Morro Bay, California, which is depicted as the "Jewel of Morro Bay" in the film. This setting is based on real-life places like the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the surrounding California coastal waters

. Key locations in the movie include:

• The reef where Dory, Marlin, and Nemo live, which is in the Great Barrier Reef.
• The ocean journey along the California Current to Morro Bay.
• The Marine Life Institute, a large aquarium and rehabilitation center near Morro Bay, California, where much of the film's action takes place

Thus, the main setting of Finding Dory is the California coast near Morro Bay and the Marine Life Institute aquarium there.