In the water was a major treat. Sea otters loved this area and there were dozens around. They are some of the most curious animals I have come across. Before they head off to feed, they spend much of the first part of the morning sleeping on their backs.
As they start to wake up, they begin some of their crazy antics. They spend a lot of time grooming their fur and faces, as well as rolling around on the surface of the water.
In addition to the sea otters, the water was just full of other visitors. I had some harbor seals come to investigate what I was. I even had this common loon come right up to me. At some points in time, it was hard to decide what I should be photographing!
After a few hours of intense fun, I moved across the harbor to where a pack of California sea lions gathered. They may look adorable, but they are astonishingly loud and I certainly wouldn't get too close - they have no qualms about biting. There were so many that they were lying atop each other in a single mass of sea lion flesh.
Near the sea lions, a sea otter was busy catching food right in front of me. Every couple of minutes it would dive down and surface in seconds with a clam or crab that it would consume in seconds. It seemed to confuse this Western Grebe who gave me some comical expressions as it swam over.
Lastly, I moved over to another portion of the slough. Here a pair of American Avocets were feeding feverishly in the ponds left on the flats. No other bird has a bill like theirs! I was sad to return to the car to begin heading back, this California trip was fantastic.
