We put the California county, known for its exclusive towns and fancy golf courses, to the frugal test, combining a hefty dose of stunning nature with affordable restaurants, budget lodgings and a few splurges…
The survival of southern sea otters in California is a comeback story. Hunted nearly to extinction for their thick pelts, sea otters managed to hang on in the most remote coves and crags of Big Sur, where a few individuals were discovered in 1938. Now numbering about 3,000, the endangered marine mammals are some of the most charismatic residents in the Central Coast’s kelp beds.
They also thrive in Elkhorn Slough, a coastal wetland preserve in Moss Landing, about 27 miles north of Monterey. There, I boarded an electric catamaran from Monterey Bay Eco Tours to troll the calm waters on a 90-minute cruise ($45).
Within minutes, we spotted harbor seals hauled out on muddy banks shared by marbled godwits, black-necked stilts and whimbrel, some of the park’s more than 300 species of birds. Mother otters fed their babies sea cucumbers, gave them swimming lessons and carried sleeping pups as they floated on their backs.
“Elkhorn Slough is a low-stress environment for them,” said Cindy Rice, a naturalist guide leading the tour.