Monterey Bay

Life and Death in The Intertidal Zone

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A healthy purple ochre sea star (Pisaster ochraceus). Photo courtesy Monica Moritsch

As the mysterious sea star wasting syndrome shows, life ebbs and flows in the tide pools around Santa Cruz.

Leatherback Turtles

The leatherback remains virtually unchanged since its first appearance on Earth 70 million years ago. Public domain photo.

Meet the world's largest marine reptile.

El Nino And Monterey Bay Geek Page

NASA image of Kelvin waves (in red) moving eastward from Indonesia toward South America.

Nerd out on how the advent of El Nino (which now looks like less of a sure thing) stirred up warming Kelvin waves and quelled our usual summer winds—and is making trouble for Monterey Bay.

Whale Soup

Juvenile humpback whale breaching. Photo by Hanae Armitage.

It’s an ocean-wide game of follow the leader, and the anchovies are #1.

The Humpy Dance

Humpbacks 'lunge feeding' in Monterey Bay last Sunday.

A whale watching trip in the Monterey Bay right now will cost you fifty bucks but will leave you a lot richer.

Elkhorn Slough Safari

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The world's cutest marine mammal. Photo provided by Yohn Gideon.

Otters and egrets and sea lions, oh my!

Monterey Bay Birding Festival: A Beginner's Bird Walk

Birds sure have good taste in real estate. Photo by Maria Grusauskas.

Birding for everyone...