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I recently traveled down to La Selva Beach (south of Santa Cruz, near Watsonville) to visit my Aunt Lori and Uncle Rich (and my canine cousins Buckwheat and Blue, of course) and to attend my friend Peggy's 60th birthday party. It was great to catch up with family and I reconnected with a number of old and dear friends from my Tobacco Control days at the party.
On the 19th, my aunt and I drove down to Moss Landing to do some sightseeing. We braved howling winds to photograph a group of at least a hundred sea lions which had commandeered a public dock. It was fun to watch them jockey for position on the dock, with big ones holding their ground by sheer mass while other young male engaged in mock battles with each other at the far end of the dock. We saw one otter out in the channel, but he was too far away to photograph well (even with the long lens).
On my way home on the 20th, I took a slight detour back to Moss Landing to see if I could find any additional photo opportunities. I stopped at the beach off Jetty Road and photographed the beach and some interesting birds (attention birders: If you can identify, let me know), as well as some insane person who took their small sailboat out in those crazy conditions.
Next, I headed about a half mile south on Highway 1 to Moss Landing Road. My aunt and I had stopped there the previous day, to see if any otters had taken refuge from the wind at the far end of the harbor, but none were there. This time, however, there were no less than FOUR otters in the cove. One was sound half-asleep while floating in the open water. Next was a mother and her overgrown pup sitting on her belly while she tried to clean his fur (the pup is almost as big as its mother). Last, but not least, was a sound asleep otter who had planted himself in a solid mat of seaweed. His little paws were pressed together, as if in prayer, so I nicknamed him "Buddha Otter." The ones of Buddha Otter are probably some of my favorite wildlife shots I've ever taken.
Mike's Recommendations (if you decide to visit):
- Where to stay: If you have a cool Aunt and Uncle who live in La Selva Beach, I would strongly recommend staying there. Barring that, I haven't a clue.
- Do Not Disturb The Wildlife: There are signs everywhere to this effect, but it bears repeating. These are wild animals and both Otters and Sea Lions can do some damage (particularly the latter) if you get too close. Not that I was tempted to go further out on the dock. No siree. Not me...
- Ear Plugs: Not sure if this would work, but I found myself wishing I had ear plugs to guard against the wind. My sinuses have been bothering me all week and I think ear plugs might've helped.
- Sunscreen: Even if it's cold, the UV rays still burn your skin. So don't forget the sunscreen.
Individual Photos (54 photos)
Driving Directions (courtesy of Google Maps)
Dock With Sea Lions
Beach off Jetty Road
Sea Otter Location
La Selva Beach(courtesy of Wikipedia)
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