From Monarchs to Elephant Seals, Highway 1 Map Shows the Route to Wildlife in the Season of Coastal Discovery
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The Season of Coastal Discovery is the best time to view the bountiful wildlife and discover the hidden secrets that Highway 1 and California's Central Coast have to offer. When you follow the new Insider’s Guide to Wildlife Viewing Map, you can catch the elephant seals lolling on the beach as whales migrate and sea otters play in the ocean behind. The tidal zone also serves up a vast array of interesting animals, from vibrantly colored sea stars to spiny urchins. Further ashore, monarch butterflies overwinter in eucalyptus groves all along the coast. Add in California condors, among scores of bird species, and you won’t need binoculars to see why Highway 1 is one of the best winter wildlife viewing regions in North America during the Season of Coastal Discovery.
Pismo Monarch Grove
Whale Watching on Highway 1
There are other places in the world to observe elephant seals, but you’ll likely need a boat to get there. The Piedras Blancas rookery, on the other hand, accessible directly off Highway 1, is arguably the best viewing location to watch as many as 24,000 of these massive creatures (males can exceed 5,000 pounds) on the planet. During pupping season, there have been as many as 1,600 babies born—all visible from the viewing area. The rookery docents also provide a window into numerous elements of the elephant seal’s fascinating life cycle, from mating behaviors to pupping. Spend some time at one of the five viewing points on the Wildlife Viewing Map, and you quickly gain a biologist’s perspective on this rarely viewed sea mammal during the Season of Coastal Discovery.
Far from simply a species guide, the Wildlife Viewing Map offers other nature-based information, including detailed descriptions of key habitats adjacent to the Highway 1 Discovery Route, beginning with the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The sanctuary protects an ecosystem that includes an astounding 36 marine mammals and 180 bird species. The environment is equally rich under the sea, where 525 fish species and four types of turtles reside among 450 kinds of algae, as well as one of the rarely seen Octopus Gardens, where 1,000 female octopi give birth three-quarters of a mile below the surface within the Davidson Seamount.
The Morro Bay Estuary and Nature Preserve is yet another key environment along the Central California Coast, an excellent destination at which to seek a vast array of wildlife, such as dolphins and bat rays. Of course, estuaries always present a tremendous opportunity to spy numerous species of birds, including herons, sandpipers, and pelicans. Watching herons attempt to balance in their tree limb rookeries is among the most humorous sights in the natural world.
The Season of Coastal Discovery is the best time to view the bountiful wildlife and unlock the hidden secrets that Highway 1 and California's Central Coast have to offer. When you follow the new Insider’s Guide to Wildlife Viewing Map, you can catch the elephant seals lolling on the beach as whales migrate and sea otters play in the ocean behind. The tidal zone also serves up a vast array of interesting animals, from vibrantly colored sea stars to spiny urchins. Further ashore, monarch butterflies overwinter in eucalyptus groves all along the coast. Add in California condors, among scores of bird species, and you won’t need binoculars to see why Highway 1 is one of the best winter wildlife viewing regions in North America during the Season of Coastal Discovery.
There are other places in the world to observe elephant seals, but you’ll likely need a boat to get there. The Piedras Blancas rookery, on the other hand, accessible directly off Highway 1, is arguably the best viewing location to watch as many as 24,000 of these massive creatures (males can exceed 5,000 pounds) on the planet. During pupping season, there have been as many as 1,600 babies born—all visible from the viewing area. The rookery docents also provide a window into numerous elements of the elephant seal’s fascinating life cycle, from mating behaviors to pupping. Spend some time at one of the five viewing points on the Wildlife Viewing Map, and you quickly gain a biologist’s perspective on this rarely viewed sea mammal during the Season of Coastal Discovery.
Like seeing elephant seals spar for “King of the Pod” honors, watching sea otters in their natural habitat never gets old. As close to a plush toy as exists in the animal kingdom, sea otters have returned to their natural habitat in impressive numbers, which means we get to watch them loll about near the shore, in the coves, and above the kelp forest. Whether chipping away on an abalone or caring for a pup from its classic back float posture, a sea otter will draw squeals from kids and adults. The Wildlife Viewing Map details locations for year-round observation from San Simeon to Avila Beach.
Piedras Blancas
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*Need Location/ Caption Here
Far from simply a species guide, the Wildlife Viewing Map offers other nature-based information, including detailed descriptions of key habitats adjacent to the Highway 1 Discovery Route, beginning with the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The sanctuary protects an ecosystem that includes an astounding 36 marine mammals and 180 bird species. The environment is equally rich under the sea, where 525 fish species and four types of turtles reside among 450 kinds of algae, as well as one of the rarely seen Octopus Gardens, where 1,000 female octopi give birth three-quarters of a mile below the surface within the Davidson Seamount.
The Morro Bay Estuary and Nature Preserve is yet another key environment along the Central California Coast, an excellent destination at which to seek a vast array of wildlife, such as dolphins and bat rays. Of course, estuaries always present a tremendous opportunity to spy numerous species of birds, including herons, sandpipers, and pelicans. Watching herons attempt to balance in their tree limb rookeries is among the most humorous sights in the natural world.
Photo by Vincent Shay. Whales in Avila Bay
Morro Bay Estuary
The Oso Flaco Natural Reserve offers yet another intriguing habitat to explore. Several familiar wading birds, including snowy and common egrets, reside here, as do numerous species of sea and dabbling ducks. Another key ecosystem combines an inland lake, saline habitat, and brackish "in-between" aquatic areas: You can identify local tern species and seek out frogs and reptiles on the same visit. You might even catch sight of a desert cottontail within a few hundred yards of the Pacific Ocean, yet another indication of this region's phenomenal diversity.
To birdwatchers, habitat diversity equals a species bonanza. More than 450 species have been found along this stretch of Highway 1, close to half of all avian species in the U.S. Sleuthing through habitats here with binoculars in hand, you’ll find a prize around seemingly every corner. Peregrine falcons, diving at 240 mph, hunt along the shoreline, snowy plovers nest within the dunes, and dozens of songbird species winter, migrate, and nest in the forests and meadows, among other environments.
*Need Location or Caption Here
*Need Location or Caption Here
Like the gentle butterflies, actual road warriors who fly hundreds and sometimes thousands of miles from alpine breeding territories to the coast, tide pooling invites a sublime experience of quiet exploration. Rocky pools dot the shoreline here, as described on the Wildlife Viewing Map. The interactive map also includes the Coastal Discovery Center, an excellent resource for learning about the tidal zone as well as obtaining a Stewardship Travel for Good Clean-Up Kit to encourage visitors to help care for these pristine habitats.
The Insider’s Guide Wildlife Viewing Map also details one of the best nature resources on the West Coast, the Whale Trail. The Whale Trail inspired the new Western Monarch Trail, an educational opportunity that draws attention to the importance of habitat protection, beginning with new interpretive signage at the Pismo Beach Monarch Butterfly Nature Preserve. Ten of the 100 Whale Trail vista points are in San Luis Obispo County, the most of any county in California.
Pimso Monarch Grove
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Whale Trail
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Pismo Monarch Grove
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Guidebooks have always provided key details for getting the most out of wildlife viewing. The interactive Insider’s Guide to Wildlife Viewing Map takes the field guide to another level, including Goggle pins to ensure you get to just the right spot and a scannable QR code that provides an easy transfer from PC to smartphone for mobile. Wherever you choose to view wildlife along the Highway 1 Discovery Route, the
Wildlife Viewing Map will take you there during the Season of Coastal Discovery.
The Oso Flaco Natural Reserve offers yet another intriguing habitat to explore. Several familiar wading birds, including snowy and common egrets, reside here, as do numerous species of sea and dabbling ducks. Another key ecosystem combines an inland lake, saline habitat, and brackish "in-between" aquatic areas: You can identify local tern species and seek out frogs and reptiles on the same visit. You might even catch sight of a desert cottontail within a few hundred yards of the Pacific Ocean, yet another indication of this region's phenomenal diversity.
To birdwatchers, habitat diversity equals a species bonanza. More than 450 species have been found along this stretch of Highway 1, close to half of all avian species in the U.S. Sleuthing through habitats here with binoculars in hand, you’ll find a prize around seemingly every corner. Peregrine falcons, diving at 240 mph, hunt along the shoreline, snowy plovers nest within the dunes, and dozens of songbird species winter, migrate, and nest in the forests and meadows, among other environments.
*Need Location/ Caption Here
Birds aren’t the only winged wonders to watch along the Highway 1 Discovery Route during the Season of Coastal Discovery. The Wildlife Viewing Map identifies several areas where monarch butterflies roost each year from November to March. A whopping total of 230,000 butterflies were counted at the Pismo Beach Monarch Butterfly Nature Preserve alone! The butterflies show the value of the Wildlife Viewing Map as, in addition to Pismo Beach, visitors can also see the black and orange bedecked marvels in seven overwintering groves, from Nipomo to San Simeon. Speaking of San Simeon, no trip to the Central California Coast is complete without visiting the zebras at Hearst Castle Ranch.
Like the gentle butterflies, actual road warriors who fly hundreds and sometimes thousands of miles from alpine breeding territories to the coast, tide pooling invites a sublime experience of quiet exploration. Rocky pools dot the shoreline here, as described on the Wildlife Viewing Map. The interactive map also includes the Coastal Discovery Center, an excellent resource for learning about the tidal zone as well as obtaining a Stewardship Travel for Good Clean-Up Kit to encourage visitors to help care for these pristine habitats.
*Need Location or Caption Here
GET MAP
The Insider’s Guide Wildlife Viewing Map also details one of the best nature resources on the West Coast, the Whale Trail. The Whale Trail inspired the new Western Monarch Trail, an educational opportunity that draws attention to the importance of habitat protection, beginning with new interpretive signage at the Pismo Beach Monarch Butterfly Nature Preserve. Ten of the 100 Whale Trail vista points are in San Luis Obispo County, the most of any county in California.
Guidebooks have always provided key details for getting the most out of wildlife viewing. The interactive Insider’s Guide to Wildlife Viewing Map takes the field guide to another level, including Goggle pins to ensure you get to just the right spot and a scannable QR code that provides an easy transfer from PC to smartphone for mobile. Wherever you choose to view wildlife along the Highway 1 Discovery Route, the
Wildlife Viewing Map will take you there during the Season of Coastal Discovery.
Birds aren’t the only winged wonders to watch along the Highway 1 Discovery Route during the Season of Coastal Discovery. The Wildlife Viewing Map identifies several areas where monarch butterflies roost each year from November to March. A whopping total of 230,000 butterflies were counted at the Pismo Beach Monarch Butterfly Nature Preserve alone! The butterflies show the value of the Wildlife Viewing Map as, in addition to Pismo Beach, visitors can also see the black and orange bedecked marvels in seven overwintering groves, from Nipomo to San Simeon. Speaking of San Simeon, no trip to the Central California Coast is complete without visiting the zebras at Hearst Castle Ranch.
Sea Otter Preserve
Elephant Seal Rookery
Over 22,000 Butterflies in Pismo Beach
Hearst Castle zebras in San Simeon
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GET MAP