Kings of the Kelp: California Sea Otters

by Steven Harper

Clack, Clack, Clack… The rhythmic stony sound drifted over the crash of ocean waves. With curiosity I looked around sensing the sound of hammering did not belong in the direction of the sea. On second look, I saw that all of the brown spheres that I had presumed to be kelp were not. There in the rolling bed of kelp floated a dusky brown critter pounding away at its chest—I had heard my first sea otter before I had ever laid eyes on it.

The sea otter I was watching was showing off its unique ability to use tools. The otter floated on its back with a rock on its chest and a mussel in its paw. It hammered away until the hard-shelled mollusk broke open exposing the delicate flesh that is the otter’s food. When it was done with the meal the otter gracefully rolled over one full turn, dropping the rock back to the sea floor and cleaning up in one swift motion.

The California Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) is a streamlined brown furred member of the weasel family. The smallest of all the marine mammals adults weigh between 35 and 90 pounds and live 10 to 20 years with the males typically larger and the females living longer. Currently there are roughly 2700 individuals living along the nearshore waters between Point Conception and Half Moon Bay generally preferring places with kelp or the protected waters of harbors and sloughs.

With up to one million hairs per square inch the sea otter has the densest hair of all mammals. This thick hair is key to its survival as it is the only marine mammal without a blubber layer for insulation from the cold seawater. Air is trapped in the dense fur so the frigid ocean water never touches skin. Sea otters, if not sleeping or foraging, are almost always grooming their fur to retain its insulating abilities. As much as six hours a day is spent grooming. An otter that cannot groom itself will die from hypothermia.

If not grooming otter are voraciously foraging at an average of eight hours a day. Sea urchins, abalone, crabs, mussels, clams, make up some of the 40-plus species they opportunistically prey upon. They must eat 25 percent or more of their body weight to maintain their high metabolic rate and body temperature in the cold coastal waters (do the math and imagine if you had to find and eat 25 percent of your body weight each day)!

The remainder of their time is spent resting and sleeping. They wrap themselves in kelp as an anchor. The careful observer might spot both their head and hind flippers bobbing high out of the water as a heat conservation strategy. While sea kayaking I once unknowingly bumped into a well camouflaged sleeping otter. I let out a scream as the back of its body flopped onto the deck of my boat as it dove. I was certain that some unknown predator was attacking me. I’m sure the otter thought the same. Luckily, we both escaped unharmed.

Although they generally forage alone, otters are social animals. They will “raft” up while resting in groups as small as a half dozen to as large a few hundred. Males are most commonly found separate from females except when breeding. Frequently males further divide themselves between juvenile and adult groups although in smaller numbers than the female groups. Males tend to travel a greater distance within their territory and are often found at the edges of the sea otter range. Males engage in a playful courtship and will protect their breeding territory from other males when females are available for mating.

Female otters and their young can often be seen rafted together in one group. Young otters, typically born between January and March, will spend the first months with their mothers during which time they are depended on her for their survival. They must be fed, groomed, and taught how to forage. I have spent hours watching a mother and pup as they playfully worked their way through a kelp bed. The pup riding on the mother’s chest, and then suddenly, without apparent warning, the mother rolls to dive in search of food. Pups are so buoyant that they cannot dive and sit helplessly on the surface as floating balls of fur. From the time the mother submerges for food until she surfaces, the pup makes a high-pitched call that can be heard from a distance (the first time I heard this call I mistook it to be that of a sea bird). As the mother emerges she locates the pup by its cry. After feeding both herself and her pup a mother might groom her pup by blowing air into its fur. Pups are generally weaned from the mother’s care by 8 to 12 months.

The unique density of the otters fur is key to its survival and, historically, it was what almost brought the species to an end. From the mid 1700’s through the 1800’s expeditions of explorers and hunters reduced the California and Alaskan sea otter to near extinction. Otter skins were highly valued for their fine pelt and fetched exorbitant prices in the Russian and Chinese fur trade markets. The severe drop in the sea otter population was a significant part of why Russia decided Alaska had little value and sold it to the United States. By early 1900’s the sea otter was so rare that a ban was finally place on hunting them.

While it is believed that a couple of thousand Alaskan otters survived the intense hunting, the California sea otters were thought to be extinct. Many Big Sur locals knew about a small number along the coast but kept quiet about it. During the construction of the Bixby Creek Bridge in 1938 workmen regularly spotted a small group of sea otters. It was then that the scientific community “discovered” that the California sea otters still existed. The small group began to grow and spread its territory. The current population is descended from this original group. Being classified as “threatened” as an endangered species further protected them in 1977. The sea otter populations have slowly grown until the last years when their population declined or leveled-off. Scientists are both alarmed and puzzled over the exact cause this apparent plateau, as they should be growing in numbers and range. A constellation of factors including contaminants, lack of sufficient food, and disease may be the biggest culprits. Humans contribute unintentionally to these factors in a number of ways. Inappropriately disposing of cat litter is one example, as cats, both wild and domestic, can carry a parasite (toxoplasmosis) that once in otter habitat, can and does kill them.

The kelp forest habitat and the sea otter are intricately connected. When sea otters are taken out of their coastal kelp habitat sea urchins and other algae grazers proliferate. The larger kelps that create the forest decline, as does the whole chain of organisms depended on the kelp forest habitat. When sea otters return to this habitat their voracious feeding habits puts a check on the abundant algae grazers allowing the kelp forest to reestablish itself. As the kelp forests return the diversity of species increases. Sea otters are what ecologists call a keystone species. Without the sea otter we lose more than a cute teddy bear like animal of the sea that is so easy to love. We lose a whole living system and the many species that make this system home. As a keystone indicator species the otter can let us know when our coasts are fully restored and in healthy balance. When the California sea otters have re-inhabited their original range we will have 15,000 or more woven into the fabric of this rich coastal sea.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium, of course, is a good place to learn about and observe the otters in a world-class exhibit. That said, wild otters, are really worth the effort. My favorite place to watch wild sea otters is from any high spot along the rocky shoreline, especially in the kelp bed habitat. I strongly recommend binoculars or a spotting scope. Much like my first encounter with otters many newcomers mistake the large brown bulbs of the bull kelp as the heads of sea otters. Time and patience will reward you with and encounter you will remember… perhaps the feel of the sun on your back, the sound of breaking waves interwoven with the distinct smell of the sea. Then, perhaps—delight—as the clack, clack, clacking, draws your attention to a dining otter on the crest of a rising wave.

copyright 2007 Steven Harper all rights reserved

Magical Monarchs

by Steven Harper

With a big grin and quiet laughter I stepped cautiously along the garden path as literally hundreds of butterflies swarmed around me in all directions. Many ran into or landed directly on me as I went about my work. It was a sunny January day some thirty years ago. I was working in one of the most beautiful coastal gardens and this was my first encounter with masses of the orange and black Monarch butterfly. I was filled with a lightness of being, wonder, and many questions. Most of my questions went unanswered, but the wonder never left.

Who among us can think of butterflies without the corners of our mouths turning upward? What better butterfly to bring a smile to our face than the magnificent Monarch butterfly? While many butterflies can only be identified by an entomologist, even the insect-illiterate can identify a Monarch butterfly. It is probably the most commonly recognized butterfly in North America. While watching one dart from plant to plant is plenty enough to inspire a lightness of heart, knowing more about these beautiful insects can deepen our appreciation for these miraculous creatures.

Background
Butterflies along with moths belong to the insect group Lepidoptera. Monarch butterlies (Danaus Plexippus) belong to the family of milkweed butterflies that feed only on milkweed (Asclepias). All butterflies go through four distinct developmental stages of egg, larva, pupa, and adult in a process called metamorphosis. Butterflies need mild temperatures for their active life and either hibernate or migrate to escape the cold. Monarchs migrate and in North America there are basically two populations of Monarchs. This article deals primarily with the western Monarch (those that live west of the Rocky Mountains). We will follow the Monarch through its life cycle on the central coast, to its multi-generation movement north and inland, and finally, to its long migration as it returns.

Arrival
Starting in October we begin to see the arrival of Monarchs to the central coast. Their arrival is the culmination for some individuals of a 2000-mile journey. They are the flight distance champions of the butterfly world. Their arrival is seemingly miraculous as the arriving butterflies have never before been here and are in fact many generations removed from the butterflies that left the year before. They choose protected openings in forested areas near the coast from north of the San Francisco Bay area south to northern Baja California in Mexico. Most often they choose Eucalyptus trees, but they also choose forests of Monterey Pine and Cypress.

Winter Habitat and Behavior
Monarchs need water, food (nectar), mild temperatures, and protection from the elements to endure the winter. Monarchs must drink water each day and between the morning dew, fog, and winter storms there is usually plenty of available water on the trees the butterflies choose. The non-native eucalyptus tree is in bloom and provides nectar in the winter months so it is often favored over the native trees as overwinter habitat. Additionally, they need just the right temperature. If it is too cold or too warm they use up precious energy reserves trying to moderate their temperature and will die. Coastal California offers just about the right conditions most years. During the winter months the butterflies must conserve their energy. You can see large football size clumps of butterflies holding on the same branch. A careful observer can watch the butterflies move to the sunny spots of a tree to warm themselves and then seek shady spots as the day heats up. From a distance I have witnessed entire Monterey Pines with an orange brown cast to them that looked like they were dying. Only to discover up close that they were covered, yes I mean covered, with Monarchs on every branch.

Mating
Although it varies from year to year, some time around February when the first milkweed begins to show itself some many miles away, the butterflies decide it is time to mate. In the latter part of winter we often get a break in the storms and the coast of California puts on a clear blue-sky day that feels like summer. This is the perfect day for Monarch watching. Males take to the sky with pheromone scent pouches full in search and pursuit of females. After an aerobatic chase the male “dusts” the female with pheromones at which time the female will often loose her ability to fly and fall to the ground in the grasp of the male. On the ground the two will flail around in what appears to be a struggle until the male is able to successfully hook up. At this point the female closes her wings and becomes completely passive. After a moment the male will take off up into the trees with the female hanging beneath him like the keel of a ship. Males can only mate a few times before they die where as the female will soon begin her journey.

The Journey
The fertilized females journey northward and inland in search of the first available milkweed growth. Once milkweed is found a female will go about testing the milkweed for a compound that is toxic. Butterflies have taste organs in the hairy bristles of their front feet. The more toxic the leaf the better, as this toxicity is a key to the Monarch’s ability to survive at all stages of its life (more on this later in the article). Each time a female finds a leaf that meets her approval she will lay a single egg out of a few hundred or so she might carry. Soon after the overwintering female lays her last egg she dies. It is up to the next generations to continue the migration.

The egg hatches and out crawls a small hungry caterpillar. During this larva period the caterpillar will eat milkweed ravenously and will expand its size by well over 2000 times in an average of 15 days. The caterpillar will enter a pupation period in a chrysalis for 10 to 15 days. During this time an incredible transformation occurs. Caterpillar body parts disappear, or change while butterfly parts appear and grow. Adults emerge from their chrysalis soft and damp. They must pump blood and air through their body and wings while waiting for their exoskeleton and wings to dry and harden. In a few hours they are ready to take to the air in their first flight.

The second generation since leaving the coast will live only 4 to 8 weeks, enough time to make their way further north and inland. The cycle continues for a third and even fourth generation until they make their way as far as Canada and the western parts of Rocky Mountains states with some remaining in California. It is the third and fourth generations that make the long return flight to the California coast. These returning Monarchs, the ones we see along the coast, will live about 7 to 8 months.

The Milkweed Connection
By feeding on the toxic milkweed plant the caterpillar is not only growing itself at an amazing pace it is also protecting itself for the rest of its life. The chemicals (cardenolides) stored in the Monarch body taste terrible and are poisonous to insects, birds, and other predators that may try to feed on them. As common with many animals in nature, if they are poisonous, they advertise this with bright colors, high contrast, and distinguishing marks just as the Monarch does. This strategy also benefits them as they overwinter in mass along the coast. It doesn’t take long for the potential predators to figure out that while the Monarch’s might be easy pickings they are not very tasty.

The Mystery of Monarch Migration
It is still not understood or agreed upon how Monarchs that have never been to their over-winter locations make the up to 2000-mile journey. It is probably a constellation of factors including the magnetic field of the earth, the position of the sun, use of ultraviolet light receptors, chemical smells, and other factors not yet recognized by scientists that guide the way.

Imagine your species survival is at stake. Imagine never having been shown the location or the way to the critical habitat for your species. Imagine navigating from 2000 miles to only a relatively few locations that will allow you to survive the winter. Imagine negotiating the challenges of winter storms, extreme temperatures, drought, habitat loss, pesticides, and the windshields of speeding cars. Imagine you must go. Now—wonder—the miracle of the Monarch.

copyright 2006 Steven Harper all rights reserved

Observing Monarchs in Monterey County

In Monterey County there are many great spots to see Monarchs between the months of October to as late as March depending on the weather of the year. The best consistent public locations in the county to find them are Pacific Grove, Point Lobos State Park, and Andrew Molera State Park in Big Sur. Perhaps it is obvious, but it is important not to disturb the butterflies in whatever location or behavior you find them in. Use binoculars so you can observe them from a distance without being intrusive. Collect only butterfly photos and memories. If you live in or near Monarch habitat you can attract and help sustain the wintering Monarchs by planting non-evasive winter flowering nectar-producing plants.

copyright 2006 Steven Harper all rights reserved

Elusive Wild Beauty

by Steven Harper

The shear wild beauty of the sculpted body that lay before me left me awestruck. I knelt on the ground, reached out, and touched this decent size mountain lion. Half of my attention in reverent fascination with this stunning creature, the other half of my attention scanning the environment for any signs my five senses might pick up. This beautiful cat was not resting or sleeping—it was dead— and something had killed it. It did not take long to determine that this lion had not been shot as I originally suspected, but it had died just a few hours before our discovery. All the signs were there, another mountain lion, presumably more agile, larger, and experienced, had taken this cat. While I have observed rare animals in many parts of the planet, wild mountain lions had often eluded me. Now, I finally had a chance to touch, to smell, to examine up-close this elusive animal.

Mountain lions (Puma concolor, also commonly known as cougar) were originally found over most of North America all the way down to the tip of South America. Although much is still not known about these reclusive animals, its current range in the United States is severely reduced to the wild areas of western states. These large cats can inhabit everything from deserts to high mountains, however, for the most part they prefer forested and dense brushy areas with occasional clearings and few humans. This, of course, describes many parts of Monterey County. Since 1972 there has been a ban on trophy hunting mountain lions in California. In some areas their populations have continued to decline despite the ban. Cougars are solitary and depending on the habitat can need an average of 100 square miles of territory or more. As human population increases cougar habitat has become more fragmented and has decreased in size, causing more contact with humans. Often it is inexperienced juveniles that have been pushed to the edges of wild areas that people encounter.

Nothing in the animal kingdom moves with quite the mix of grace, stealth, and agility of cats. Mountain lions are perhaps the pinnacle of this feline poetry in motion. With exceptional wide-angle night vision, the ability to hear well beyond human range, running speeds of 50 mph, and the bounding and leaping abilities that far exceed Olympians, cougars are the elite athletes of the wilds. Adults are generally 5-8 feet long including the tail. The tan color of their fur blends well with California’s vegetation. Their tail is long with a dark tip that measures 1/3 their body length. Adults can weigh anywhere for 90 to 180 pounds. The cougar I found was a male juvenile and weighed 120 pounds.

Cougars preferred food is almost always deer, although they will take opossum, raccoons, coyotes, and other medium sized mammals. They are nocturnal hunters usually out anytime from dusk to dawn. Adult cougars are secretive and solitary animals that come together only to mate. Young cubs have faint rings around their tails and spots on their body that they lose as they mature. Around 18 months the young are out on their own and must not only find food, but more important, must find territory that is not already taken by other cougars. Less than half will make it past 2 years old.

Mountain lions are the most stealthy and elusive of the large predators of North America. The manner in which most of us will experience these creatures in the wild will be by the signs of their passing by and not by direct contact. The first time I clearly identified mountain lion tracks was on an infrequently used road in Big Sur. There had been a recent rain and the mud on the road made near perfect casts of their large paws. When walking their rear paws often cover the prints of their fore paws. The overall print is round in shape with no claw marks with the forepaw being slightly larger and wider than the hind. Cougars have a unique “M” shape at the front of the pad that further differentiates their track from members of the dog family. Their scat is larger than dogs often containing deer hair and bones. Occasionally I have seen an area where they scuff the groundcover and spray, or have found a scratch post where you can see the claw marks of the cat marking its territory.

In general, predators, and specifically mountain lions, are useful indicator species that tell about the overall health of an ecosystem. Mountain lions are critical to the balance and health of many of California’s natural areas. As we humans go forward, the health of the mountain lion could be an excellent indicator and direct feedback as to our ability to live in balance with the natural world. If nothing else, the shear wild beauty of these magnificent and elusive animals is more than enough reason to protect their place in the family of living things.

Copyright Steven Harper all rights reserved

What if I am attacked by a Mountain Lion?

It is humbling to live around animals that are bigger, faster, and wilder than us. Mountain lion attacks on people are very rare. From dogs to bees, lightening strikes to snakes, there are many more things in the natural world that are of greater danger. To put it in perspective, one astronomer calculated that we are more likely to be injured or die from a meteor hitting the earth than a mountain lion. And, of course, cars are more dangerous than all-of-the above put together. Having said that, education is always a good way to stay out of harms way. Should you encounter a mountain lion, your most likely experience is to see it disappear quietly and quickly. The most appropriate response to this type of encounter is to feel blessed for the rarity of the sighting.

If the lion does not disappear or behaves aggressively:
Do not run or panic. Be calm, stand tall, hold out arms, and face the lion making eye contact. If in a group, gather together. Let it know you are human, speak confidently in a loud voice or yell. Throw things at the lion and vigorously fight back in the rare chance you are attacked.

copyright Steven Harper all rights reserved

Life Between the Tides: The Intertidal Region of Monterey County Coast

by Steven Harper

The tides are in our veins, we still mirror the stars, life is your child…
Robinson Jeffers

From the exposed rugged Big Sur cliffs to the relatively protected waters of the Elkhorn Slough, from rarely visited beaches and dunes of north-county to the heavily visited pier at the wharf, Monterey County is blessed with a unique, stunning, and diverse coastline. Hidden along this shoreline, and often missed, is one of the most fascinating and unique ecosystems—life between the tides. The central coast of California has one of the richest intertidal areas of the North Pacific Ocean. Organisms from the north and south converge their ranges creating an extraordinary diversity of species. Winds and currents push the surface water of the Pacific Ocean away form the shore causing an upwelling of colder nutrient laden water to rise. Plants flourish in these rich waters and provide nourishment right on up the food chain to the abundant organisms that inhabit, feed, and scavenge in the intertidal region.

Like the pulse of a planetary heartbeat, twice every day there are two high tides and two low tides. The highest and lowest tides of the month follow close to the moons cycle and occur near the full and new moons, roughly once every two weeks. The intertidal region is the area between the lowest tides up to the splash zone of the highest tides. The residents of the intertidal region are tough as nails and surprisingly delicate, and often both at the same time. The plants and animals that make their home here quite literally have a foot in two very different worlds. One home is the ocean, where they live in a saltwater environment, surviving currents and waves that pound with unrelenting power, where any number of predators from the sea comes to forage. The other world is that of land, where they must survive the direct exposure to wind, the sun’s heat and ultraviolet light, rain that dilutes salinity, not to mentions the numerous land animals and birds that come to feed. The organisms that have evolved to inhabit these two radically different environments have adapted over millions of years. It is in this extreme and dynamic environment where many scientists feel life first came to land.

I divide Monterey County’s coastline simply into three regions: rocky shoreline, sandy beach, and the protected waters of sloughs and bays. Many of the intertidal regions develop "life zones,” groups of organisms that live in distinct zones depending on their height above sea level. The rocky shoreline is the easiest place to see this banding together of organisms known as intertidal zonation. The rocky intertidal region is usually divided into four zones from the highest to lowest: the splash, the high intertidal, the mid-intertidal, and the low intertidal zone. If you happen to be at low tide along the rocky shore look down the shoreline and you can see the parallel bands of color. Each zone is distinct in its physical conditions as well as the flora and fauna that inhabit each zone. To some degree this zonation occurs in the sandy beach and slough environments, however it is often less distinct and more difficult to easily see at first look.

Most of our coastline is impacted by yet another and sometime tougher pulse than that of the tides. Wave after wave constantly caresses, or more often, pounds the shoreline. With an average of 5 waves a minute, 300 an hour, 7200 a day or an incredible 2,628,000 waves a year this constant force shapes and sculpts not only our coast but also the organisms that live here. From small 1-inch wind waves to monster waves measuring over 30 feet the shoreline is in almost constant movement. Sandy beaches seasonally demonstrate this continuous movement with the smaller summer waves tending to deposit sand while the larger winter waves tend to strip sand from the beach. Many of our sandy beaches disappear in the winter to return in summer.

The people of the central coast have always related to the sea and in particular the intertidal region. When it comes to the shoreline of the intertidal region we humans have often “loved the place to death.” We have a history of overusing this tough yet fragile ecosystem. As we understand more we hopefully will also change our actions and choices to protect our unique intertidal ecosystem.

If you decide its is important to learn more about our shoreline there are any number of good books and internet resources that will get you started. Additionally, we have the Monterey Bay Aquarium with its world-class exhibits and educational programs to guide and inspire your learning. Whether it’s to observe the abundant wild life or simply to listen to the sounds of the waves, head down to the shoreline with your senses alert and alive to its beauty. Here’s the important part… you don’t have to know the names of what you discover to enjoy your exploration. The most skilled naturalist engages all of their senses when observing the natural world. Take the time to thoroughly let in all that you observe. Be like a sponge and soak it in—you will be richly rewarded.

copyright Steven Harper all rights reserved

Visiting the Intertidal Region

Personal safety and safety for the environment are critical considerations when visiting the intertidal region:

Personal Safety
Some part of your awareness should be on what the waves and tides are doing. Just because the rock, beach or shoreline you are standing on is dry doesn’t mean it will stay that way. Rogue waves and an incoming tide can surprise even the experience local.

Environmental Safety
Learn the best low-impact way to visit your favorite shoreline. In heavily visited areas of the coast’s rocky shoreline it may be best to stay out of the intertidal region all together as human impact can noticeably damage the plant and animal life. What looks like rock or looks dead might be living. When you do go “tide pooling” pay attention to where you step. Leave rocks in place and refrain from disturbing the living creatures of the area.

Gray Whales: Nomads of the Sea

By Steven Harper

It felt like meeting an alien creature from another world. I stood in wonder looking out over the sea from a Big Sur precipice as these enchanting giants steadily moved south in their fluid weightless world. It was my first time to see a whale, and not only could I see the plumed spout of each breath, but I could also hear the explosive burst of each exhale as they rhythmically crested for each new breath. Finally, they gracefully lifted their massive tails and dove leaving only silence as I looked on in quiet awe.

Later I learned that I had witnessed gray whales on what is believed to be the longest migration of any mammal. They were on their annual journey south to their breeding and calving ground in Baja California Mexico. They pass off the coast of Big Sur again as they return north toward their feeding ground in the Arctic Ocean. Some years after this first sighting I followed the grays to both their Mexican and Arctic habitat where I have spent a total of many months watching and sometimes interacting with these incredible creatures.

Gray whales of the eastern Pacific spend the summer months from April to October in the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort Seas feeding on small crustaceans they sieve from the bottom of the sea floor. These baleen whales are believed to eat as much as 1 ton per day to add the 9 to 12 inches of blubber that is necessary to sustain their lengthy migration. They travel southward October through February swimming day and night covering a 100 miles as day all the while mostly fasting. They stay the winter months on both sides of the Baja Peninsula and near the coast of mainland Mexico. Pregnant mothers use the protected warm water of lagoons and bays to give birth to their young. Young whales can nurse 50 gallons of fat-rich milk a day gaining up to 70 pounds in a single day. These same lagoons and still waters are also used for mating. Often two males and one female can be seen in courtship behavior. When they mate, one male will sometimes support a female as another copulates with her.

They begin the two to three month northbound journey in January in two waves of departure and can be seen off the coast of Big Sur as late as May. The first group to leave Mexico often includes juveniles, males, and females that did not give birth. The second wave includes the mothers with their young and ailing or older individuals.

Scientists believe that 30 to 60 million years ago a group of land mammals returned to the sea. Over the course of time and environmental change the order Cetacea evolved into what we now know as whales and dolphins. While native peoples of the north hunted whales, the peoples of the south opportunistically used whales that washed up. With the discovery of their calving waters whalers hunted the gray whales to the edge of extinction in the mid 1800’s and again in the early 1900’s with the introduction of factory ships. In 1947 the gray whales were given full protection and have become one of the finest examples of how protection can save a species from the brink of extinction. Many scientists believe the eastern Pacific population is close to its original numbers.

Although unlikely to see, the most impressive event I have witnessed in Big Sur was observing a pod of orca whales take a gray whale and the ensuing two-hour red water feeding frenzy. While in the Big Sur take a moment to look seaward. Even if you don’t see a whale you’ll find something—expansive blue water, a wave, a moment that will inspire you—perhaps a moment of quiet awe.

What to look for in Big Sur
First off, if you are driving, pull off the road. Almost any pullout, restaurant, or trailside ocean view will do as long as it is not too close or far from the sea (50 to 500 feet elevation). A calm, windless day is optimal as white caps make it next to impossible to pick out a spout. November through April are the best months for whale watching in Big Sur.

Spouting: spouts of water and vapor form a whitish plume from each exhale. A migrating whale has a predictable sequence of 3-5 breaths in 20-40 second intervals
Sounding: when a whale raises its flukes (tail) to dive. Usually observed at the end of a cycle of breaths. The whale will often stay submerged for 3 to 5 minutes before it next cycle of breaths.
Breaching: Two-third or more of the whales body comes straight out of the water, pivots, and splashes back on its side.

Gray Whale Essentials
• Scientific name: Eschrichtius robustus
• Size: 35-50 feet (females are generally somewhat larger than males)
• Weight: 30-40 tons (60,000 to 80,000 pounds!)
• Color: dark gray with white mottling caused primarily by scaring and barnacles
• Fins: 2 pectoral fins 4 to 5 feet
• Flukes: flukes (tail) are 10 to 12 feet across
• Blowholes: 2 oblong in shape and about 8 inches long
• Dorsal Ridge: two thirds of the way back is a dorsal hump followed by 6 to 12 smaller humps or “knuckles” along the ridge
• Age: 40 to 50 years up to 60
• Speed: 2-6 mph and up to 11 mph in short bursts
• Diet: small crustaceans; amphipods (small shrimp-like krill)
• Reproduction: sexual maturity is reached around 6-10 years with a gestation period of about 12 to 13 months
• Population: estimates vary from 15,000 to 23,000
• Migration: 10,000 to as much as 14,000 miles round trip each year, taking 2-3 months each direction.

copyright Steven Harper all rights reserved

Wild Big Sur: Redwoods

By Steven Harper

The wild beauty of Big Sur has inspired and awed humans since, and probably before, recorded time. Whether you are a first time visitor or a long-time local, I invite you take time to acquaint yourself and deepen with this wild landscape. Slow down enough to let the raw beauty of nature touch you as it so creatively manifests itself along the coast.

It is all too easy to pass through Big Sur drinking in only the visual landscape. Yet, as any good naturalist knows, it is best if you use all of your senses. The most accomplished naturalists I know have not only developed visual acuity, they have also awakened their sense of smell, touch, taste, and hearing. What better place than Big Sur to let your five (or six) senses come alive? The natural elements invite you to pay attention.

When I bring visitors into the coastal wilderness I often introduce them to the natural history of this area through its plants. Plants are generally accessible, easy to find, and rarely run or fly away. They are low on the food chain, occur in communities, and interrelate with many other plants and animals helping us to connect with the larger natural environment. Plants engage our senses with lush colors, rich smells, intricate textures, complex tastes, and, yes, even sounds.

Monterey County has at least 2,055 plant species in 131 families with 68 species listed as rare or endangered. Big Sur accounts for a great deal of the abundant variety that occurs in this county. Due to the distinctive climate and extreme topography of the region, in a short distance a traveler can pass through an incredible display of diversity. A virtual tapestry of plant communities — from ocean side to deep canyon, open hillside to high peaks — offers a variety of habitats for plants to find their unique niches. Of the many plants that make Big Sur their home, probably the best known and easiest to learn is the coast redwood. Redwoods in their sheer magnificence draw our attention.

I would like to share here some of the unique qualities of redwoods to deepen your appreciation of these ancient giants. The Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) is the tallest living thing on earth, measuring at up to 370 feet high. Fossil ancestors of this ancient tree are found to have been widespread in the northern hemisphere over 100 million years ago. They currently range from the California-Oregon border in the north to Big Sur in the south, growing in a narrow band 5 to 30 miles wide along the coast. They are found from just above sea level up to over 3,000 feet. Redwoods often live from 600 to 1200 years while some have survived to 2200 years old. Redwoods grow in a unique relationship to coastal fog and have evolved in close relationship to fire. A single old-growth redwood can produce millions of pin-head-sized seeds annually; however, unlike any other North American conifer, they most commonly regenerate clonally by root sprout. Where trees have been cut or have fallen due to natural causes, there are often “fairy rings” where younger trees have grown from the original parent tree. Surprising to many, redwoods have shallow roots 3-9 feet deep, but growing out from the tree for several hundred feet. Incredibly, mature redwood forests produce the greatest biomass per acre of any other forest in the world— almost 10 times that of mature tropical rain forest.

If redwoods are new to you, they can be found at almost all of the state parks and much of the Forest Service land along the coast in Big Sur. Whether you are new or old to the wonder of redwoods, I encourage you to find a tree, sit still, open your senses, and let yourself be touch by wild Big Sur.

copyright Steven Harper all rights reserved