By the Bay

Springtime on the shores of Monterey Bay.

It was, however, chilly and very windy.

There were an astonishing number of sea otters cavorting in the surf—more than I'd ever seen in a single visit, including one mom with a pup (out of range without a proper camera).

We were here for a visit to the aquarium, my first since The Before Times. The resident sea otters playfully hammed it up for spectators, and a fish with gilded fins caught my eye in the Kelp Forest tank.

After more visits than I might count, I finally got to touch a bat ray! Tucked into a cozy corner, a loner rose up when disturbed by a guitarfish and swam right within my reach. Smooth and silky!

The rarest privilege was seeing a cluster of eggs that the Giant Pacific Octopus had hung right next to the glass, for all to admire. (At the same time, a sad event—as it signals that the end of her life is drawing near.)

Even so, for me, happiness is a day by the bay.