Monterey Bay

We are staying at Moss Landing, midway between Santa Cruz and Monterey.  I have never been to Moss Landing, and find it to be a very interesting place.  There are three research agencies here that study the Bay, and some surprisingly good restaurants that serve very fresh fish.  The RV park is surrounded on three sides by a harbor and its boats.  We watched American coots grazing on a lawn:

 

The beach is within walking distance:

We watched a US Coast Guard ship pull up channel markers for inspection:

and enjoyed yet another spectacular sunset:

When one visits Monterey, one must visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium to see sea dragons:

jellyfishes of various kinds:

and the guest of honor, a Laysan albatross!  She only appears on days when she feels like it.  Some days she just doesn't want to face the crowds.  We were fortunate to catch her on a good day.  She loves to have a good head scratch, just like Munchkin!

The aquarium cares for several shore birds that were rescued, including the long-legged black-necked stilt.  They look much larger close up:

The Aquarium has different ways of creating wave action for its residents.  Even the shore birds have a little beach to themselves that is washed continually by small waves:

Some of the residents are very colorful:

Seahorses are such amazing creatures.  The Aquarium has several tanks, each housing different species.  I took a video of a yellow seahorse that blended perfectly into its surroundings.  Click this link to view:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0xDHqz6Epk&feature=youtu.be

The sea otters are very popular. There are five in the sea otter tank, all female. They sometimes serve as surregate mothers to rescued pups. To view a short video on YouTube, taken with my iPhone video function, click this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ymXXUWc36Q&feature=youtu.be