I was fortunate to hear a fascinating lecture by noted marine scientist, Dr. Steve Lonhart. Dr. Lonhart has studied the Monterey Bay area most of his life and is an expert on many facets of this dynamic marine sanctuary. He works at SIMon, Sanctuary Integrated Monitoring Network. They have an interesting website filled with information and images of just about every aspect of the Monterey Bay National Sanctuary from marine mammals to birds, to the deep ocean and beaches.
I urge you to spend a little time on the website, particularly the photo library with over 3,000 images of incredible mammals, birds, kelp forests, and invertebrates that will challenge your imagination.
SIMon also has a great YouTube channel where you can watch videos of otters, underwater dives, and sea creatures that seem unworldly. A particularly interesting video explores the kelp forest that thrives in the Monterey Bay. As beach walkers, we see evidence of these forests when kelp washes up on the beach. It’s quite a thrill to see the kelp forests as they exist under the water.
Once you get hooked on exploring the Monterey Bay, it will be time to join a walking tour around the bay. Check out our upcoming trips and send me an email with your questions.