Wildlife Wednesday: Bird Rock’s Coastal Community 🦦🌊
Join us for wildlife stories, field notes, and plenty of coastal surprises - from sea lions at the marina to hidden tide pools and a shop full of nature-inspired art.
Wildlife Wednesday // July 2nd, 2025
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This Week in the Wild
Wildlife Wednesday has a way of sneaking up on me. One minute I’m sorting through galleries, the next I’m back at the coast, reliving the movements of a colony in full swing. This week, I’m narrowing the focus to Bird Rock: a place that’s less a destination and more a living, breathing community built on stone and surf.
Bird Rock isn’t quiet. Even from a distance, you hear it first: the overlapping calls of California sea lions and the noisy chatter of gulls. Step a little closer (don’t worry, you’ll still be at a respectful distance - there’s plenty of ocean between Bird Rock and its vantage point from 17 Mile Drive), and the scene sharpens - a dense mass of sea lions sprawled across the rocks, cormorants nesting on the ledges above, and if you’re lucky like me, a pair of sea otters drifting in the kelp just offshore.
Colony in Focus
Visualize a puddle of sea lions. That is exactly what Bird Rock has to offer. Hundreds of pinnipeds crowded together, each carving out a patch of rock for a nap, a bark, or a quick social check-in before heading back to sea. It’s a living, ever-shifting puzzle of fins and flippers, and the energy (and noise) is unmistakable.
Above the sea lions, Brandt’s cormorants have set up their nests; their dark shapes and flashes of blue throat patch perched just out of reach. Seagulls drift in and out, sometimes joining the cormorants on the ledges and other times watching the action from a safe distance. Toward the end of this series, you’ll spot two sea otters floating together in the kelp - just offshore, but very much part of the same coastal scene. It’s a snapshot of coexistence. Different species, different needs, all sharing the same stretch of rock and ocean. These scenes aren’t staged or rare; they’re simply the real shape of things on California’s coast.
Field Notes
Location: Bird Rock, 17-Mile Drive, Monterey, CA
Wildlife: California sea lions, Brandt’s cormorants, western gulls, southern sea otters
Conditions: Overcast and breezy - classic Monterey
Gear: Sony α6700 + 200-600mm lens
Why Haul-Out Sites Matter
Haul-out sites like Bird Rock are critical for sea lions. They provide a safe place to rest, warm up, and socialize between foraging trips. The sheer number of animals here is a sign of a thriving colony and a productive bay. But it’s not just about the sea lions - these rocks are nesting real estate for cormorants and a roost for gulls, while the kelp beds offshore support otters and a whole hidden world of marine life.
Respectful Wildlife Viewing
All photos in this series were taken from a respectful distance with a long lens - letting the animals go about their routines undisturbed. If you’re visiting a place like Bird Rock, the best moments happen when you hang back, watch quietly, and let the wildlife set the pace.
Related Field Notes
If you’re in the mood for a deeper dive into Monterey, you’ll find the full day’s field notes in my May trip report. Want more pinniped moments? Don’t miss Wildlife Wednesday: Sea Lions at the Marina.
Gallery
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