We took the opportunity in Monterey to attend a Tuesday farmer's market for dinner, then took another dinghy ride on Wed morning before setting sail for Moss Landing and Elkhorn Slough, 12 miles away. We arrived in the late afternoon with a strong westerly blowing us into the channel entrance on some largish ocean swell. It's a little unnerving to see waves breaking on the breakwater, but there are range markers and good aids to navigation to make the entrance. We were able to stay on the guest dock of the Elkhorn Yacht Club for two nights and enjoyed the abundant hospitality of the club and its members - we've had a hard time leaving!

Elkhorn Slough is known for its abundant wildlife including large populations of sea lions, harbor seals, and sea otters. We quickly launched the dinghy and took a ride up the slough - it was windy and cold but worth the effort because of the delightful otters (some moms and pups) that we saw. My short telephoto couldn't come close to doing the scene justice - but here are a few tries. I highly recommend coming to rent a kayak to see the wildlife - it's truly a special place!