![](pgmonterey/living/otter_thumb.jpg)
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Sea Otters are early
morning risers. Before the sun comes up,
they start their daily feeding which
requires that they consume about a quarter
of their body weight in food each day.
(photo: Kip Evans)
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![](pgmonterey/living/maleelephant_thumb.jpg)
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Male Elephant seals
can reach 15 feet in length and weigh up
to 5,000 pounds.(photo: Kip
Evans)
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![](pgmonterey/living/mating_thumb.jpg)
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Large, dominant male
Elephant seals establish harem areas where
they will mate with several females during
a season. (photo: Kip Evans)
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![](pgmonterey/living/elephantseal_thumb.jpg)
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Elephant seals are
incredible swimmers. Male Elephant seals
travel more than 4,000 miles between
summer feeding areas and winter breeding
grounds. (photo: Kip Evans)
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![](pgmonterey/living/twosealions_thumb.jpg)
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These California sea
lions are adult males that can weigh up to
750 pounds. Sea lions use the rocky inter
tidal for rest and refuge. (photo: Kip
Evans)
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![](pgmonterey/living/sealionraft_thumb.jpg)
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In many places along
the California coast, visitors can observe
sea lions congregating in large groups
called rafts. (photo: Kip
Evans)
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![](pgmonterey/living/dolphins_thumb.jpg)
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Common dolphins are
just one of the many species of dolphins
that live within the Monterey Bay National
Marine Sanctuary. (photo: Kip
Evans)
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![](pgmonterey/living/humpback2_thumb.jpg)
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34 different species
of marine mammals live in, or visit the
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Of
those, many are large whales such as
Humpbacks. (photo: Kip Evans)
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![](pgmonterey/living/graywhale_thumb.jpg)
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Gray whales swim
through the Monterey Bay National Marine
Sanctuary during their round trip
migration to Baja Mexico. (photo: Kip
Evans)
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![](pgmonterey/living/bluewhale_thumb.jpg)
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Blue whales, the
largest creatures ever to roam this Earth,
visit the Monterey Bay National Marine
Sanctuary during the summer months. They
come for the abundance of krill found
along the edges of the Monterey Bay
Canyon. (photo: Kip Evans)
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![](pgmonterey/living/leopardshark_thumb.jpg)
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Leopard sharks are a
rare and unusual sight int he kelp forests
of Monterey Bay. These harmless sharks eat
a variety of bottom dwelling
invertebrates. (photo: Kip
Evans)
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![](pgmonterey/living/jackmackerel_thumb.jpg)
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Jack Mackerel are
one example of the many types of silver
sided fish found in the Sanctuary. (photo:
Kip Evans)
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![](pgmonterey/living/blackrockfish_thumb.jpg)
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Black rockfish are
large, powerful swimmers. They, like some other
rockfish, suspend themselves among kelp fronds to ambush and consume smaller fish. (photo: Kip
Evans)
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![](pgmonterey/living/cabezon_thumb.jpg)
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This Cabezon, which
lives in the rocky substrate of most of
the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
kelp forests, spends most of its time on
the bottom feeding and guarding its bright
colored eggs. (photo: Kip
Evans)
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![](pgmonterey/living/killdeer_thumb.jpg)
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This Killdeer and
other shorebirds take advantage of the
rich invertebrate life found between the
grains of sand along the shores of the
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
(photo: Kip Evans)
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![](pgmonterey/living/oystercatchers_thumb.jpg)
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Many predators take
advantage of the rocky inter tidal areas
at low tide. These black oyster catchers
are feeding on California mussels attached
to the reef. (photo: Kip Evans)
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Wetland areas such
as Elkhorn slough have as many as 50-60
different species of birds visiting each
year. The Snowy egret is one of the most
common species. (photo: Kip
Evans)
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Kelp is the fastest
growing marine algae in the world. It
grows an incredible 24 inches a day.
(photo: Kip Evans)
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![](pgmonterey/living/bloodworm_thumb.jpg)
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Blood worms and
other invertebrates are some of the most
important food sources for thousands of
shore birds that visit the Sanctuary in
the fall and winter months. (photo: Kip
Evans)
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![](pgmonterey/living/leatherstar_thumb.jpg)
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Many types of
invertebrates live within the inter tidal
zone. This Leather Star is one of the
smoothest textured starfish in the world -
it also smells like garlic! (photo: Kip
Evans)
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![](pgmonterey/living/nudibranch_thumb.jpg)
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This nudibranch is
just one example of the many different
species of nudibranches that live in the
inter tidal zone. Because most are less
than an inch in length, you must search
hard to fine these interesting creatures.
(photo: Kip Evans)
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![](pgmonterey/living/ochrestar_thumb.jpg)
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Many starfish
species inhabit kelp forests. This giant-spined star is one of the
larger, more colorful sea stars found in
the Monterey Bay National Marine
Sanctuary. (photo: Kip Evans)
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![](pgmonterey/living/hermisseda_thumb.jpg)
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The opalescent
nudibranch has exposed gills (called certa) on its back
- hence the name
nudibranch. (photo: Kip Evans)
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![](pgmonterey/living/jellyfish_thumb.jpg)
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This purple striped
jelly fish is just one example of the many
types of jellies that mysteriously appear
and vanish throughout the year in the
Sanctuary. (photo: Kip Evans)
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