Point Lobos State Natural Reserve

Check out the PORTS Home Learning Program schedule for Oct. 13 to Oct. 15! For more info or to sign up: www.ports-ca.us. #castateparks #castateparksmonterey #pointlobosfoundation #pointlobos #portsprogram #portsfan

Sea Otter Awareness Week continues... Have you wondered how it's possible for a sea otter to pack a record breaking 1 million hairs into 1 square inch? Bundle it! When calculating fur density, a recent study found that the structure of the innermost layer of the hair shaft varied greatly in members of the weasel family (Kondo, K. 2020). Sea otters can pack those hairs in due to the amazing amount of hair in each bundle - winning over the river otter, sable, and least weasel. ...Sea otters must devote 8-12% of their time to grooming their thick fur to keep it in good condition, like you see here in this video of a mom and pup from Whalers Cove. In a healthy, well-groomed sea otter coat, the insulating air layer prevents cold water from ever touching their skin. Keep out, cold water! #castateparks #castateparksmonterey #pointlobosfoundation #portsporgram #seaotterawarenessweek #seaottersavvy #scienceeducation #distancelearning #marineprotectedarea #seaotters #mpacollaborativenetwork

It is Sea Otter Awareness Week and #mpamonday! Sea otters are ecosystem superheroes! As a keystone species, sea otters have a strong influence on their surrounding environment and community, despite their relatively small size. Because sea otters live in a cold ocean they rely on their fur and high metabolism to generate body heat. This high metabolism needs constant energy from food, thus sea otters have big appetites - they can eat as much as of their body weight per day...! Sea otters feed mainly on invertebrates (animals without spines) like sea urchins and crabs, like seen here in this video taken at Whalers Cove at Point Lobos. So, you can imagine they need to eat a lot to keep healthy and warm. This appetite consequently has a strong influence on the surrounding community keeping the invertebrate populations in check and allowing kelp forests and eelgrass beds to thrive. MPA's like Point Lobos are so important in providing food and shelter to these fantastic creatures. Learn more about sea otter superheroes here: https://www.seaottersavvy.org/ecosystem-superheroes #castateparks #castateparksmonterey #pointlobosfoundation #portsporgram #seaotterawarenessweek #seaottersavvy #scienceeducation #distancelearning #marineprotectedarea #seaotters

Check out this week's PORTS Home Learning Program schedule. For more info or to sign-up, go to www.ports-ca.us

1) Sea Otter Awareness Week is here! Join us in learning more about this unique and charismatic species. The smallest of the three subspecies of sea otters is our southern, or California, sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis). Currently, the California population ranges from Half Moon Bay to Santa Barbara and there are approximately 3,000 individuals. Point Lobos is an excellent spot to see these marine mammals in their natural habitat. Despite near extirpation from the maritime ...fur trade, sea otters were granted protection first by the 1911 Fur Seal Treaty. They are now under the protection of the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. With these protections, the California sea otter population has expanded from a few individuals that survived off the Big Sur coast. With continued protection and support, hopefully the California sea otter population will continue to expand further into its historic range. For more information on sea otter natural history visit: https://www.seaottersavvy.org/sea-otter-natural-history #castateparks #castateparksmonterey #pointlobosfoundation #portsporgram #seaotterawarenessweek #seaottersavvy #scienceeducation #distancelearning #marineprotectedarea #seaotters See more

Point Lobos in the morning... #castateparks #castateparksmonterey #pointlobosfoundation #portsprogram

This just in! Point Lobos is now open. For Immediate Release Date September 15, 2020 Contact: Monterey District Office... Phone 831-649-2836 California State Parks, Monterey District Reopens Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, Garrapata State Park Soberanes Canyon Trail, and Andrew Molera State Park to Day Use Visitors Monterey, Calif. California State Parks has reopened Point Lobos State Natural Reserve and Andrew Molera State Park for active recreation. Some walking trails are open, and parking is available to vehicles on a limited basis. Social distancing protocols of maintaining a 6-ft distance and wearing masks are required. Also opened is the Soberanes Canyon Trail in Garrapata State Park located on the east side of Highway 1. California State Parks continues to work to increase access to state park units where compliance with state and local public health ordinances can be achieved. Due to the Dolan Fire burning across the southern region of Monterey County, California State Parks urges the public to avoid traveling to impacted areas/park units in Monterey County due to safety and health concerns for any visitors. Air quality remains poor throughout the state. Current Park Closures The following State Parks, including all campgrounds, day use areas, and hiking trails, are closed due to fire and/or traffic concerns on Highway 1 in the greater vicinity of the Dolan Fire: Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park John Little State Natural Reserve Limekiln State Park Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park Point Sur State Historic Park California State Parks is asking for the public’s cooperation at this time when our state is severely impacted by the multiple fires burning throughout the state, including fires in Monterey County and in neighboring Santa Cruz and San Benito counties. Your assistance is appreciated! For additional information about the Dolan Fire, please see the below resources: Dolan Fire California Interagency Incident Management Team 2 Incident E-mail: [email protected] Incident Website: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7018 #### Subscribe to California State Parks News online at www.parks.ca.gov/news or email us at [email protected]. California State Parks provides for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by Facebook I Twitter I Instagram I YouTube I Blog I Periscope I Flickr

Check out this week's Home Learning Program from PORTS this week. Please note that the 9/16 11am program at Point Lobos has been canceled. A program from another (though yet to be determined) site will be presented instead. Enjoy these incredible learning programs from California State Parks! Info on how to register: www.ports-ca.us

Extending the specialness of #mpamonday into Tuesday, a harbor seal swims by our underwater camera (GoPro 5). Year round residents at Point Lobos, you can witness their life and times here in their natural habitat. The marine protections (a no take zone) here have created a healthy and sustaining habitat for these curious marine mammals and for the many other animal species that depend on this ocean habitat. Go MPAs! #pointlobosstatenaturalreserve #pointlobos #castateparks #castateparksmonterey #portsprogram #yaympas #explorethecoast #diveintompas #harborseals #mpacollaborativenetwork

Point Lobos State Natural Reserve will be closed indefinitely beginning Thursday, August 20th. Factors in the closure include significant poor air quality due to the fires in and around Monterey County and an effort to reduce traffic along the Highway 1 corridor for emergency response vehicle access. Your cooperation refraining from unnecessary travel to the Big Sur area is appreciated. #castateparksmonterey #castateparks #bigsur #portsprogram #pointlobos #staysafe

#mpamonday Another Intertidal Encounter at Point Lobos SNR We sit still and attentive watching the life moving along below. Crabs, sculpin, urchins, and algae all contribute to the scene. Our State Parks and Marine Protected Areas work together to ensure experiences like this exist for these animals as well as for the observers. Taking heed of the advice on the best way to experience a tide pool by leaving everything natural there (no taking or collecting allowed) and trea...ding quietly and lightly increases the chance of a possibly life changing intertidal encounter! #castateparksmonterey #castateparks #pointlobosfoundation #portsprogram #intertidalencounter #mpacollaborativenetwork #californiampas #leavenotrace #explorethecoast #tidepoolecology

Time for a Point Lobos moment! The Old Veteran, an incredible Monterey cypress tree tenaciously holds on to the granite-like rocky cliff. While planted elsewhere, this tree species only grows naturally in two places on the entire planet! Right here at Point Lobos and across the Carmel Bay to the north in the Del Monte Forest. Shaped and sculpted by the wind, the Monterey cypress is on excellent display with the Old Vet! It is hard to know the exact age of this formidable specimen, but estimates are about 300 yrs old! Enjoy this moment of wonder and beauty from Point Lobos State Natural Reserve #castateparksmonterey #castateparks #pointlobosfoundation #montereycypress #canativeplants #trees #pointlobos #portsprogram

Intertidal Encounter with a Bat Star At Weston Beach, we come across the bat star moving along in a tide pool. This fascinating creature is one of many living at the edge of land and sea. Sometimes covered by the ocean other times exposed, this habitat demands a lot from its residents. This is where you can help! At the tide pools we are all guests and it’s important to minimize our impact. Walk slowly, mindful of where you step, leave all natural and living organisms at the ...tide pools (no collecting!). If you see something that intrigues you, crouch down to see it and let it remain in its home. If you see something that doesn’t belong like trash, take it out. And always keep your eye on the ocean. It is up to all of us to enjoy, explore, and take care of these incredible animals and their home! The more we learn and experience, the more we care and protect! Click on bat star for Instagram video! Check out our YouTube channel at Point Lobos Interpreter! https://youtu.be/yf3bQEu02hk