California - Central Coast

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We had the opportunity to explore a bit of the Central Coast of California back in September. After attending a conference in San Francisco, we drove down to the Monterey Peninsula for an extended weekend. We explored the coast from Cannery Row to Point Lobos. The water off the coast are all part of the 5000 square mile Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Along the rocky shores we viewed colonies of sea lions, seals, and spotted a sea otter - which is still a threatened species. I also noted 24 bird species, 9 of which were new for my book including the a migratory pair of oddly named "red-necked phalaropes."

We also visited the old mission at Carmel-By-The-Sea which included beautiful gardens filled with bustling hummingbirds. On the way back we stopped at the Monarch Preserve at Natural Bridges State Park in Santa Cruz.

To help protect the ocean habitats for this wildlife, visit the Ocean Conservancy website.

Visit my Photo Gallery for more pictures of the area.