Point Lobos State Natural Reserve is a wonderful place to admire the immense biodiversity and beauty of the Californian Central Coast. There are numerous trails within the reserve that allow you to immerse yourself in stunning scenery, ranging from coastal bluffs providing habitat for — among many others — harbor seals, sea lions, pelicans, and great blue herons, to dense forests with yellow-green lichens hanging mythically from the trees, often shrouded in fog.

Monterey Bay, located on California's central coast, is renowned for its stunning marine life and spectacular whale-watching opportunities. In this article, I’ll take you on a tour to see these magnificent creatures, share insights on why Monterey is such a prime location to spot marine life, and provide everything you need to know before venturing out on a shaky boat into the ocean. While every tour is exciting, this one on a beautiful fall day in October 2023 was particularly special, as it featured an unexpected 'celebrity': the patchy white-gray orca, Frosty.