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Pacific Ocean Activities Around Half Moon Bay Make For A Day Of Fun.

Northern Elephant Seals Walks

Ano Nuevo State Reserve is home to a large colony of Northern Elephant Seals. The seals come ashore to give birth and mate from mid December through March. The Reserve offers naturalist led guided walks between December 15 and March 31, which feature the seals in their natural habitat. These popular three-mile walks over rolling sand dunes last about 2 and a half hours and are considered moderately strenuous. http://www.parks.ca.gov

Whale Watching

The annual migration of the gray whale is currently underway, and Half Moon Bay is the perfect spot for witnessing the journey of these spectacular creatures. Beginning in January and running through the end of March, approximately 15,000 gray whales swim south from the icy waters of the Arctic to mate and nurse their young in the warm, shallow lagoons along Magdalena Bay in Baja, California. The full round-trip migration from the Bering Sea to the Baja calving lagoons is approximately 10,000 miles, the longest known migration for any mammal. Gray whales move at a steady speed of about five miles per hour, and most can be spotted in an area that extends from the kelp beds (about 3/4 miles from the shoreline) out to the horizon. For those who like to plan ahead, March through early April is a great time to spot humpback whales as they begin moving closer to shore.

Surfing

For the recreational surfer, the area has scores of terrific surfing areas all along the Coast

Half Moon Bay is also home to the world-famous surfing spot Mavericks, located one-half mile off of the coast by Pillar Point Harbor. Mavericks is considered to be one of the most challenging surfing areas in the world, attracting the most elite surfers to brave the waves for the annual contest, most recently renamed "Titans of Mavericks.' The official contest window is open January 1 through March 31, and during this time, the organizers monitor weather conditions and swell size in order to give competitors 48 hours notice to make their way to Half Moon Bay. Swells at Mavericks typically need to reach 30-40 feet in order for the contest to take place. The official contestant line-up was announced in October and includes big wave surfers from all over the globe including Brazil, Hawaii and South Africa, as well as many local surfers from Pacifica, Santa Cruz and San Francisco. For more information, visit http://www.titansofmavericks.com.

 

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Authored by Terry Plank