It is about lunch time as we approach Morro Bay. Without any particular plans for the day, we agree to pause for lunch by the water. Yet, it doesn’t take too long for us to discover that we will be staying for a lot more than just a meal.
Sea Otters Galore
After relaxing into a restaurant booth and ordering lunch, Cowboy points out into the bay: “sea otters!” I leap up and desperately attempt to photograph the bobbing dots in the middle of the bay. My return to the table is accompanied by a strange mixture of exhilaration and dejection.
I kinda have a thing for sea otters. They are insanely cute. Now if only I can take a descent picture…
That’s when the waitress swings by with more than just lunch. Yes, she had a tip: we should walk down to Morro Rock. We would likely see many more sea otters along the way.
We don’t even have to walk very far along the docks until when I hear a loud rapping below me. There is a sea otter smashing a massive clam on its belly with a rock. After the otter concludes fishing the clam meat out of the shell shards, it dives to pick up another clam and start over again.
A Walk To Morro Rock
Morro Bay is a historic shipping hub. The wide sheltered bay continues to support a thriving fishing industry. All manner of boats anchor in the bay’s calm waters.
Morro Rock towers at the entrance to Morro bay. A trail takes us from the more developed bay side along a spit of land to the Rock. Along the way, we spot seals, herons, ground squirrels, and, yes, more sea otters.
Morro Bay Power Plant
The three 450-feet-high power plant smokestacks of the Morro Bay Power Plant were built back in the 1950s and can be seen from 10 miles away. While the power plant they supported has shut down, they remain an iconic part of Morro Bay, second to the volcanic rock that the town and bay were named after. While many see them as an industrial nuance, distracting from the natural skyline, I have to admit, I’m quite fond of old factory structures and would be delighted to see this structure repurposed for future use.⠀
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We have a lot of fun passing through towns, observing their unique environments and then returning a few years later to see how they have changed. I’m looking forward to returning, five, ten years down the road and seeing what is new.⠀
