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California Coastal Trail
Monterey Bay Sanctuary: Serengeti of the Sea
Season 1
Episode 28
Once the fishing and canning industries left Monterey Bay, it took decades of effort to protect the precious resource that remained. Finally in 1992, then Congressman Leon Panetta authored legislation that established the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. This "Serengeti of the Sea" offers some of the best wildlife viewing in the world, much of it visible from the California Coastal Trail that stretches along the Central Coast from San Francisco to Cambria. The sanctuary encompasses some 6000 square miles filled with beautiful beaches, crystal clear tide pools, lush kelp forests, steep canyons and an abundance of life -- from tiny shrimp to playful sea otters and giant blue whales.
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2:41
Gary Conwell is a lifeguard officer for the city of Newport Beach for the past 18 years.
5:02
Marin Headland's Golden Gate National Recreation Area hosts rich biodiversity.
6:07
Lands End is a popular hiking destination at Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
6:28
Del Norte County is home to the cleanest river in the continental U.S., the Smith River.
5:26
Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park hosts sea-side bluffs above ancient redwoods.
6:03
The Humboldt Bay Trail is a network of trails that will connect Humboldt's largest cities.
5:59
The Fort Bragg Coastal Trail sees as many as 12,000 people per day on holiday weekends.
6:48
In Fort Bragg, California, an industrial mill site closed off the coastline for 150 years.
6:55
The Mendocino Land Trust has just completed the two-mile Pelican Bluffs Trail.
7:58
The Sea Ranch is an environmentally-planned private community along the Sonoma Coast.
8:10
In 2015, the Trust for Public land helped establish Kashia Coastal Reserve.
5:28
Decades after the Russians withdrew, Fort Ross was acquired by the state in 1906.