Source: SFGate.com
Gray Whale
Monterey Bay Whale Watch, which offers gray whale-watching cruises from mid-December through mid-April, notes that the whales' preference for shallow water brings them closer to the shore in Monterey than other sites along the coast. Their regular breathing pattern – blowing three to five times in brief intervals (15-30 seconds) before raising a fluke and submerging for three to five minutes, according to the American Cetacean Society (ACS) – is also helpful for spotting the at sea. And their enormous size doesn't hurt, either: Adult males can be 46 feet in length – females a bit longer – while both weigh between 30 and 40 tons.
Fun facts: Although most mating and calving takes place in the lagoons of Baja California, the ACS says both have been observed during migration. Size matters: Gray whales become sexually mature between ages 5 and 11, or when they've grown 36 to 39 feet. The ACS also describes their courting and mating behavior as "complex," noting it frequently involves "three or more whales of mixed sexes."
Sadly for the gray whales, their migration also causes a spike in sightings of killer whales, which hang out year round in the deeper waters of the bay, but love to munch on a gray whale when they get the chance.
Monarch Butterfly
Appearing acts: Pacific Grove is justly famous as the winter home for approximately 25,000 of the winged creatures who start arriving in October from as far north as Canada. But other Monterey County locations also attract sizable populations, including Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, Big Sur's Palo Colorado Canyon and Andrew Molera State Park and Sycamore Canyon at Pfeiffer Beach, according to the Ventana Wildlife Society. Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz and the North Beach Campground in Pismo Beach also host the fluttering migrants, who head north and east in March, as spring arrives.Fun facts: The monarch migration is unusual in that none will have visited their southern oasis before; the butterfly's life span is so short, as many as five generations will have been born on the way to the northern habitat.
Just in time for Valentine's Day, monarch butterflies' thoughts turn to mating, as February's warmer temperatures and longer daylight "trigger the development of their sexual organs," according to the Pacific Grove Monarch Sanctuary, which offers docent tours October through February. "They can then be seen performing spiral mating flights, after which the coupled pair will rest overnight. The male passes a nutrient-rich sperm packet to the female during mating. This extra energy will allow the female to travel far in search of milkweed on which to lay her eggs."
Elephant Seal
Appearing acts: Año Nuevo State Park in
southern San Mateo County, is the largest northern elephant seal colony
on the mainland, with several thousand pups born during the winter
breeding season every year. Reservations are snapped up quickly for the
three-mile guided walks conducted Dec. 15-March 31 – the only way to get
close to the enormous pinnipeds during that time.But Piedras Blancas in southern Big Sur, four miles north of San Simeon and Hearst Castle, offers easy free and easy viewing of several hundred elephant seals, spread out over two beaches, one with boardwalk access close to the parking lot with interpretive signs. No reservations or tours are necessary, though binoculars may come in handy. Sightseeing bonus: The parking lot off Highway 1 just over a mile south of the Piedras Blancas Light Station, which in winter offers lighthouse tours Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
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