This coastal wetland is less about spotting wildlife, and more about wildlife spotting you. Southern sea otters, harbor seals and seabirds are so abundant in this biodiverse salt marsh that you'll find yourself frantically paddling away from them, just to keep your distance. Rent a kayak from outfitters on Hwy 1 and paddle past harbor seals into Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, or take a guided weekend hike and go bird-watching. Docent-led tours typically depart at 10am and 1pm on Saturdays and Sundays, and electric-boat cruises are also available.
Rent a kayak or SUP from Monterey Bay Kayaks (montereybaykayaks.com; half-day rental $48) in Moss Landing (open 9am to 5pm). At first glance, the roaring highway and concrete stacks of a natural-gas power plant seem an unlikely setting for a marine preserve. But a short paddle under the highway bridge sends you into Elkhorn Slough. As your oar sweeps through sea grasses, and sends the occasional moon jellyfish into a spin, you'll notice curious faces pop up in the waters of this 7-mile tidal estuary. Seals and sea lions have been known to bob their heads above the surface, startling kayakers (who risk a stiff fine for getting too close; see box). No inhabitant of the California coasts garners coos of delight quite like these playful creatures, and more than 125 sea otters have been counted in Elkhorn Slough.
Look up, too: pelicans dive-bomb the waters with torpedolike precision, just one of 116 kinds of birds spotted in this biodiverse sanctuary, including peregrine falcons and other fly-by species traveling the Pacific flyway migratory route.
