“It’s a sunny summer afternoon, and our group is embarking on a tour of the Elkhorn Slough, a biodiverse tidal estuary on Monterey Bay. The slough is home to pupping harbor seals, endangered birds and the world’s densest concentration of southern sea otters – including a rogue otter that has learned a deadly new trick.
You may have heard of people kayaking through this slough, but we’re boarding a very different watercraft, a 37-foot, ADA-compliant catamaran called the El Cat. We get comfortable on padded seats and whip out binoculars and birding guides.
“This is an inland waterway and it’s calm,” says our Monterey Bay Eco Tours captain. “Feel free to stand up, stretch your legs and walk around. But please try to keep two-thirds of your child or husband inside the boat at all times.”
The El Cat is unique in this world. Company owner Wendy Kitchell custom-built it with brother Joseph Kitchell using a proprietary epoxy-infusion system. It’s so strong and lightweight, a cargo ship could run it over, and the broken pieces would still float. Not that that would ever happen on these protected waters, where the biggest danger is mispronouncing “slough.” (Hint: It does not rhyme with “plow” or “rough.”)”