Explore the Blue: 360° Serengeti of the Sea
Dive into Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary! Experience one of the most biodiverse areas on the planet as you explore the sanctuary's kelp forests, rocky reefs, and the deep, dark seafloor. Discover colorful sea stars, ghostly anemones, playful sea lions, and other mysterious creatures from the depths!
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Narration
Welcome to Monterey Bay…a vast and thriving oasis of marine life. Come along and join these divers on a journey into Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
This sanctuary is one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet, known as the "Serengeti of the Sea."
Safeguarding more than 6,000 square miles of valuable marine life along the central California coast, Monterey Bay is one of many national marine sanctuaries in the United States managed by NOAA.
As you descend with the divers, you enter a world unlike any other—a forest beneath the waves. The lush kelp sways in the currents, their golden fronds stretching toward the surface, forming an intricate, living canopy.
Look around you. These underwater forests are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth, providing food and shelter for a dazzling array of marine creatures.
[kelp holdfast]
Focus in on that tangled mound…
Anchoring the majestic giant kelp to the sea floor are holdfasts—strong, root-like structures that secure the nearly 200 foot algae against the relentless push and pull of the currents.
Amid the dense forest, a kaleidoscope of life flourishes.
[black-eyed goby]
See if you can spot a black-eyed goby–the small, camouflaged fish resting on the seafloor.
[Hopkin's rose nudibranch]
To your left…
A flower-like Hopkin's rose nudibranch clings to the reef. This sea slug's vibrant pink color is a warning to potential predators.
A variety of sea stars, their arms outstretched, carefully explore the reef searching for their next meal.
[giant-spined star]
These predators make their way slowly across the seafloor, and play a vital role in recycling nutrients from the substrate below.
Moving just outside the kelp forest, we encounter a rocky reef covered with a diversity of animals, including colorful sponges, cold water corals and anemones..
[lingcod]
This large lingcod is an ambush predator. It rests on the reef, and waits to quickly dart out and capture a meal with its needle-like teeth.
On the sandy seafloor, do you see the abandoned anchor? It is serving as an artificial reef adorned with ghostly white plumed anemones.
[Metridium]
Their delicate, feather-like tentacles sway with the currents and catch prey out of the water. This artifact has become a valuable habitat for many species seeking shelter, including juvenile rockfish.
[egg-yolk jelly]
Oh look! An egg-yolk jelly is drifting by, hoping to snag its next meal, captured by long and flowing tentacles.
It's a California sea lion!
And it looks like it's dinner time…
Watch out! Here comes a bait ball!
Shimmering like silver, thousands of anchovies twist and turn in a desperate attempt to evade the acrobatic sea lions working together to hunt.
These intelligent marine mammals are keystone predators, helping to maintain a delicate balance of life in these coastal waters.
As you dive near the shoreline, a group of sea lions frolic. Their streamlined bodies twist and turn as they chase each other.
Can you hear their playful barks echoing around you?
These social creatures are vocal to make their presence known.
Notice how they use their front flippers to propel through the water effortlessly!
As we descend beyond the sunlit shallows, a different world emerges.
On our technical dive at 300 feet, we get a rare encounter…a bluntnose sixgill shark, its body sleek and powerful, gliding silently through the abyss…a reminder of the mysteries that lie beneath.
Known to roam in deep waters during the day, this shark migrates to surface waters at night to feed, returning to the depths before dawn.
From towering kelp forests to the twilight depths, every habitat in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary plays a crucial role in the balance of life.
It is a place of wonder and resilience, a testament to the vast and fragile web of our ocean.