With one team at Monterey and the other at Santa Cruz, the bay has cracked down the middle near Moss Landing. A submarine canyon running out to sea comprises the underwater end of this rupture, while Elkhorn Slough lies on the inland end. It held the record for the largest number of bird species sighted in a single day from 1982 until just a few years ago. Over 250 species of birds either live here year-round, or stop by on their spring and fall migratory travels. They are lured here by fish in the water, invertebrates buried in the mud and a restful place to gather strength for the flight ahead.
Otters come to play, eat and rest in the slough's mouth.
As my kayak partner and I entered the slough, our first otter-spotting was a writhing mass of fur, feet and splashing water. When we cruised by, two startled otters poked their weasel-like heads out of the water, huffed at us a few times in irritation, then disappeared with a flick of their pointed tails. People often mistake playing for mating in otters. Actually, mating is a less joyful affair. A male otter holds on to the female's nose with his teeth to hold her in place, leaving older females with scarred, battered noses as a result.