I want to see otters for my birthday. Who's with me?
In want of a COVID-friendly getaway for my birthday, and with Monterey Bay attractions closed, my family turned to the tiny San Luis Obispo County beach town of Morro Bay. If your kids love animals like mine does, there are plenty to see, from harbor seals and sea lions to sea otters and so many types of sea birds. I decided to make it a birthday goal to paddle with otters.
The town's views are dominated by Morro Rock, a nearly 600 foot tall volcanic plug that was once mined and is now the hallmark of the narrow entrance to dredged Morro Bay. The bay is protected on three sides, with Montana de Oro State Park to the west, the town of Morro Bay and the state park to the east, and the town of Los Osos to the south. The tiny opening to the bay is at the northwest corner.
The bay itself can at times be practically a mudflat depending on the tides, but it's easily navigable nevertheless: small enough that you can see both sides at all times. Even when waves and wind come up, you still feel secure. Most of the water and the adjoining estuary are protected at some level by the state, making the natural beauty is so easily accessible it's hard to not want to paddle multiple times a day.
Our first paddle started at the boat launch at the Morro Bay State Park Campground, which conveniently has canoe and kayak rentals and a cafe on site. If you have your own craft, keep in mind that once the rental shop opens at 9 a.m., you'll be facing a lot of cars jockeying for parking and long, not necessarily COVID-safe lines for rentals. It's better to arrive significantly early and skip the crowds. There is also a public bathroom here if you are renting gear and it's a long wait.
From the boat launch we paddled into the estuary, followed by curious sea lions, through shallow water that even revealed a ray or two swimming below us. The counter winds proved too strong as we moved up Chorro Creek, so we paddled back out across the bay to the dunes of Montaña de Oro State Park.
At the beach, we pulled up our canoe and went for a dramatic dune walk that called to mind Luke's wanderings on Tattooine in the original Star Wars movies. I wished for the oomph to make it all the way over the dunes to the beach on the other side, but it proved to be one of those walks that looks short but would likely take hours. If you can plan ahead and are with teens or older, this would be quite the adventure. There is no other way to reach these beaches than by boat or foot.
On the paddle back to the cafe for lunch, as we dipped our oars into water full of seagrass, we finally spotted two otters resting and playfully rolling over in the water. We watched them for a bit through our binoculars and then moved on to eat.
The cafe itself had a big line for tables, but we ordered takeout and ate harborside at a table and chairs that were conveniently left by the water. After lunch, we drove up Black Hill Rd. to a parking area near the top and climbed up to see the panoramic view of the surroundings, including where we'd just paddled. From there we could easily note that Morro Rock is the last in a series of ancient volcanoes that once dotted this landscape, as well as see all the spots we'd paddled and what there was left to explore the next day.
What to know
Launch fee: FREE (Morro Bay State Park is a no-fee park)
Bay and estuary map: Morro Bay State Park Brochure
Nearby boat rentals: The Kayak Shack
Dining: Bayside Cafe
Local COVID Information: City of Morro Bay COVID-19 Information Page
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