Over the summer I went kayaking in Santa Cruz with two of my best friends. We arrived in Santa Cruz at 12:00pm when the waters are usually the calmest. On the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf we each rented an open-deck kayak for a few hours. Once the owner of the kayak shop helped us into our kayaks, we were off!

As we kayaked under the pier, a California sea lion, who makes it's home under the pier, swam right under our kayaks! Then we headed out to the kelp forest surrounding the Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse - which is home of the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum that traces over 100 years of surfing history as it relates to Santa Cruz. The museum has a spectacular view of Santa Cruz and the Monterey Bay while overlooking Steamer Lane, an internationally known surfing site.

At certain times of the year the kelp forest is home to the endangered sea otter - which control sea urchin populations, which would otherwise inflict extensive damage to the kelp forest ecosystems that provide crucial habitat and food for other marine organisms, help contain coastal erosion, and are recognized as one of the most productive and dynamic ecosystems on Earth. Unfortunately we weren't lucky enough to see any of the local sea otters.

I definitely recommend kayaking to anyone who is looking for adventure and fun out in the beautiful ocean ecosystem!