Monterey Peninsula juts northward from the southern tip of Monterey Bay, and the town of Monterey shares the peninsula with Pacific Grove and Carmel. With wide sandy beaches, beautiful green cypress trees, and hills climbing from the water, this is a beautiful part of the central California coast.
Mmmmm!
One of the highlights of 2016’s trip to Alaska was spending time in close proximity to sea otters, and Monterey is also home to a large population. While the animals in Alaska and British Columbia are the northern sea otter subspecies, the otters here in Monterey are the southern, or California, subspecies.
Sea otter carrying her pup on her belly
Despite the difference in name, both sets of otters share many of the same characteristics – they dive to the bottom to harvest food and then eat it while floating on their backs on the surface, often using a rock as a tool to assist with opening shells. They spend a lot of their time grooming their coats to ensure a warm layer of air against their skin, so their paws are frequently rubbing their head and bellies as they spin in the water to keep their outer fur wet and sealed against the water. And, mothers carry their young on their bellies as they rest on the surface.
All in all, sea otters are likely the cutest marine animal around, and it’s fantastic to be back anchored amongst them.
King of all he surveys
