Before I embarked on the drive from San Francisco Airport to Monterey along the California Coast, I consulted Google Maps for potential birdwatching or wildlife spots along the way. An hour and a half later, I pulled in at Moss Landing. Situated behind an old power plant, it's an idyllic spot teeming with life.
Moss Landing is situated between a placid inlet and the raging sea.
The most amazing moment of the visit came when I was looking out over the inlet and noticed something brown bobbing in the distance. I zoomed in with my camera and was super-excited to see a sea otter floating on the water! I'd seen them in captivity before but never in the wild. So awesome! As I watched more closely, I actually saw that there were several otters around. I'll never forget how at one point, I noticed a little duck swimming around near the break wall. I thought "Hmm, I should take a picture of that one..." I was distracted by the sea otters though and never did take that photo. Actually, I guess I did because before I knew it, one of the otters had that very bird in his grasp! He was kind of licking and toying with it. Every now and again, he'd submerge it under water. The otter was definitely getting ready for a bit of a snack. Nature in action...
I also saw a nice variety of ducks and shorebirds nearby making Moss Landing an ideal spot to stop and stretch your legs on the way from San Francisco to Monterey.
