Who doesn’t love a sea otter? They’re like the cheeky puppies of the ocean. Other than the Monterey Bay Aquarium, it’s hard to get a good look at these California ocean mammals. For a rare opportunity, head out onto Elkhorn Slough State Marie Reserve, an inlet off Monterey Bay. Here, you’ll see otters as well as harbor seals, pelicans and tons of other birds. With planning, your trip to Elkhorn Slough could even include the eerie phenomenon known as bioluminescence.
In the space of two weeks, I visited this slough located just next to Moss Landing two different ways:
- On a nightime kayak paddle
- On a daytime Safari Nature Boat Tour
Let’s look at both experiences so you can determine the best slough tour for you! (Fun fact! “Slough” rhymes with “you.”)
Before we get started, let’s take care of one nagging question right off the bat: What is a slough? My son asked me this on our recent visit, and I struggled to accurately answer. I knew a slough was wet and usually had a lot of birds, but … According to the National Ocean Service, a slough is a “swamp or shallow lake system, a wetland often at the edge of a larger body of water.”
Kayaking Elkhorn Slough
With ethereal mist blotting out the horizon, my son James and I paddled through darkness, following the guide’s red light. A chorus of caws and honks and screeches serenaded us from every direction as birds — pelicans, terns, egrets and many I couldn’t identify — settled down for the night. We were excited to see a pair of otters frolicking a short distance away.
To get out onto Elkhorn Slough in a one- or two-person kayak, day or night, contact or visit Monterey Bay Kayaks. They have a facility right there at Moss Beach and Elkhorn Slough, with all the equipment you need — PFDs, wet suits, splash jackets and pants, paddles and kayaks. You can rent a kayak for $38-$65 per person. You don’t have to reserve a kayak in advance; walk-ins are welcome.
If you own your own kayak, you can launch it right from the beach without paying. (Except for parking, which is $14 per car.)
Or, you can do what I recently did with a Boy Scout group and join a guided kayak tour of Elkhorn Slough. Monterey Kayaks offers a range of tours from a 90-minute harbor jaunt ($58 per person) up to the 2.5-hour, $100 bioluminescent tour. Blue Water Ventures also offers kayak tours of Elkhorn Slough.
Bioluminscent kayak tour
Marine bioluminscence is a glow or sparkling released by certain kinds of algae when they’re disturbed. Elkhorn Slough is considered one of the top places in the Bay Area to see this bioluminescence. The best time to see it is summer or early fall. It’s best seen when there’s little to no moon.
Monterey Bay Kayaks adjusts the start time of these adventures based on the current sunset time. For our recent trip, we showed up at the facility at 7 p.m., in time to check in and confirm that they had the waivers we’d filled out online. Then we hit the restroom (Pro tip: Use the one in the shop; the public bathroom in the parking lot is not great).
Next, staff directed us to the gear room. There we collected overall-style wet suits that were a lot easier to get on than a full-sleeve suit. Over the wet suits, we put on the provided windbreakers. I tend to get cold, so I put on my hooded fleece over my wet suit and under my windbreaker. They also had mitts available for holding the paddles with — but on the August night we went, although the air felt a little chilly, we didn’t need them. We each zipped on a life jacket, grabbed a paddle, and met our two guides on the beach.
After some instructions on safety and not harrassing the wildlife, it was time to get out on the slough. Our guides pulled each kayak into the water. We walked into the water about up to our calves. The water felt surprisingly warm in contrast to the cool evening air. We each sat in our double kayak and swung our legs in.
Just like that, we were paddling along the calm water as the sky dimmed. Our guides taught us how to form a raft by maneuvering our kayaks close together and grabbing onto each other. Then, we set off into the slough. The lights in the beach parking lot clicked on, then receded into the distance. We paddled under a bridge with noisy traffic running over our heads. James and I accidentally clicked our paddles together a few times as we learned to coordinate our strokes.
The Scout leader on our trip happens to be a former Olympic kayaker. When she and her daughter stroked, their paddles moved in unison like clockwork, the dry ends pointing at the sky before plunging back into the water. Each kayak held a red plastic lantern in front, and when viewed at the right angle, each lantern would leave a red glare on the water like a slash of paint.
At first, our attention was on wildlife. We saw a harbor seal, which our guide likened to a croc because of the way they glide along the surface. Because the light was failing quickly, we didn’t see the animals clearly; each creature was a silhouette. If you go on a daytime tour, bring binoculars to see the animals more closely.
At some point, our guide instructed us to pay attention to our paddles as they swished through the water.
“See any bioluminscence?” he asked.
At first, I didn’t know what he was talking about. When I moved my paddle through the water, I saw what appeared to be white foam or bubbles. But other paddlers started exclaiming with excitement that they were seeing bioluminescence. We all turned off our lanterns and squinted at the water. James pointed out that we shouldn’t be able to see bubbles in the water, because it was dark out. I splashed my paddle around, wondering. Was the whiteness I was seeing really bioluminescence?
At this point, the experience brought back memories of seeing the Northern Lights in Wisconsin the previous winter. Like, I saw something, but I wasn’t sure if this was it. In both cases, I had imagined brightly glowing blues and greens, but what I saw was pale white. Definitely underwhelming.
But then we got into a different area of the slough, and the guide yelled, “10 out of 10!” Now, I felt sure I was seeing something beyond bubbles or splash. The clincher for me was when we were paddling and I noticed a patch of whiteness where my paddle had been, receding behind me. That was definitely not just foam.
I might just be a poor sport about the bioluminescence, because others on the tour seemed more excited than I was about what we were seeing.
On our way back to the beach, we saw some birds and more otters. Our guide shined his flashlight on a tree that was packed with white terns. We also passed a tall structure where tons of birds perched, resting for the night. The birds had quieted down to sleep at this point — about 9:30 p.m. — and the slough was steeped in peace. It was so relaxing gliding through the dim whiteness. I felt sad to approach land and the drone of the highway again.
Upon return to the building, we were allowed to dump our gear in a wet heap for the guides to deal with. They handed out cups of hot cocoa.
What to bring to a guided kayak slough tour
Monterey Kayaks will provide you with everything you really need — a kayak, a paddle, and a life jacket, as well as a wet suit and windbreaker, if needed.
But there are some extras you could bring or purchase in the shop. If you wear glasses or sunglasses, a cord is a good idea to prevent you from losing them in the water. I brought a waterproof holder for my phone, but because I was on a night paddle, I didn’t actually end up using it to take many photos. If you want, you could bring a water bottle or a snack. Binoculars would also be fun for daytime tours. For night tours, consider bringing a stocking cap or, like I did, a hooded fleece. Don’t bring a cotton sweatshirt, because you will drip some water onto your arms and torso as you paddle.
I wore a bathing suit under my wet suit, but the suits were loose enough that I could have kept my regular shorts on instead. Another person in our group wore leggings under her wet suit, and they got soaked. Bring a towel and leave it in the facility while you kayak, so you can dry off a bit before changing into your dry clothes. They have changing rooms there for you.
I also recommend bringing cash to tip the guides. I did see someone in the group asking about a Venmo handle, so that might be an option, depending on the guide.
Elkhorn Slough Safari Nature Boat Tours
If kayaking isn’t your thing, there’s a less athletic way to see the otters and birds of Elkhorn Slough. You can sit down in a catamaran with Elkhorn Slough Safari. This trip is suitable for all ages, weights and abilities. You need to be able to step from the dock to your seat on the boat, but that’s all.
Arriving for your sea-fari
They run three daily 90-minute tours, at 9:15 a.m., 11:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. You’re supposed to arrive at their gift shop, at 7981-E Moss Landing Road, Moss Landing, California, half an hour before your boat departs. There are a few free parking spots labeled with the company’s name. At the gift shop, you’ll sign a waiver and have a chance to use the restroom. The shop has a lot of great nature books, as well as the usual magnets, stickers, Christmas tree ornaments, etc. etc.
Tip: To kill the rest of your half hour wait, pop into the Shakespeare Society of America next door. This is a small free museum full of Shakespeare odds and ends donated by various teachers and other collectors, like figurines, thimbles, costumes, etc. There are also items for sale, such as a copy of Shakespeare’s will and an auction of his house contents from the 1800s.
Boarding the Elkhorn Slough boat
Most people walk down the road from the gift shop to the harbor, but if you choose to drive, there is plenty of parking near the boat as well. You’re asked not to crowd the ramp to the dock while waiting to board, since the same ramp leads to private boats as well. When it’s time to get on the boat, the staff will tell you where to sit — they need to spread the passengers out so that the boat floats evenly.
From the moment you step onto the dock, you’ll probably start seeing wildlife. We saw a sea lion lounging on the dock next to the boat — and he was so entertaining it was hard to focus on obeying the crew instructions instead of standing around taking photos of him. As the boat leaves the dock, you’ll see more sea lions lounging near — and on — other boats. Then, you go under the Highway 1 bridge and into Elkhorn Slough.
Once in the slough, you’ll start seeing sea otters — lots of them. We saw mother/child pairs — so cute! We also saw a male/female pair that was frolicking about like they were on a date. The otters will float along on their backs, dive down, then return to the surface a few minutes later clutching something to eat. They need to eat all day long to keep their metabolism going to stay warm in the water. Unlike whales, they don’t have blubber to insulate them.
We saw several otters enjoying fat inkeeper worms, which basically look like pink otter hot dogs.
We saw harbor seals, both swimming in the water and chilling on the shore. I would say they were caching some rays, but there was not a sunbeam in sight.
You’ll also see tons of birds. Our guide called out loons, terns, gulls (of course), and so many pelicans. They said they also have golden and bald eagles, but we didn’t catch any of those.
At the very end of our trip, as we pulled into the harbor, we saw a real treat: A mother otter lying on the dock, cuddling a newborn baby otter.
More on visiting Elkhorn Slough
Should you visit Elkhorn Slough by kayak or safari boat?
I enjoyed both visits immensely. If you can, do both! While the kayaking isn’t difficult, you do need to have a bit of endurance and balance to be able to get yourself into and out of the kayak and paddle (slowly). The safari boat is something that almost anyone could do. My kids’ grandparents, who can’t walk long distances, really loved it.
One advantage of the safari boat over kayaking is that we could hear everything our guide said easily. In a group of kayaks, we could only catch some of the information our guides shared.
What is Elkhorn Slough known for?
This tidal inlet, between Santa Cruz and Monterey, is known for a great concentration of wildlife: sea otters, harbor seals, sea lions and birds. In the summer and early fall, Elkhorn Slough is also known as a place to see bioluminesence.
When can you see baby otters in Elkhorn Slough?
We were lucky enough to see a days-old otter in August! But we got lucky. If you want a better chance of seeing babies, go on the Marine Mammal Baby Tour in April.
Can you walk around Elkhorn Slough?
Yes! Although boating is the best way to see the otters and seals that live in Elkhorn Slough, the water is also surrounded by hiking trails. Go to the Elkhorn Slough Visitor Center (open Wednesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), and start one of their five hiking trails.