Tag Archives: marine protected area

The Point Arena Lighthouse is a popular landmark to visit along California’s picturesque Mendocino Coast. Standing 115 feet above the flat coastal prairie, the lighthouse rises from the headland’s edge, bravely overlooking the pounding waves below. Whether from the top of the lighthouse or from the grounds, visitors marvel at the expansive ocean views surrounding them on all […]

Big River Estuary State Marine Conservation Area (SMCA) is a small marine protected area located just south of the town of Mendocino. It covers less than a quarter square mile of estuary habitat along 1.3 miles of riverbank east of the Highway 1 bridge. Though it may be small, the impact of Big River Estuary SMCA […]

Imagine cruising along Highway 101, enjoying one of California’s most scenic drives north of San Francisco. As the hustle and bustle of California’s Golden Gate City falls far behind, the scenery changes from developed cityscapes and suburban neighborhoods to undeveloped coastlines and breathtaking views. After breezing through the city of Eureka, the highway eventually plunges into […]

California’s coastline north of San Francisco is well-known for rocky cliffs, small coves with sandy shorelines, and numerous offshore rocks of all shapes and sizes. Some of the larger offshore rocks in these cold waters are important to sea birds and marine mammals because they provide vital refuges for long-traveling sea birds, rookery areas (bird resting and rearing […]

California offers some of the best snorkeling and scuba diving in the world, thanks to its magnificent kelp forests. An underwater counterpart to the incomparable redwood forests on land, divers glide through kelp stipes and blades just as birds soar through forest tree branches and leaves. As you gaze down at the sea floor, sunlight filters […]