USA/CA: Russian River State Marine Conservation Area
The Russian River State Marine Conservation Area protects the estuary and delta of the Russian River as it enters the Pacific Ocean. All sort of wildlife congregates here – two types of salmon enter the river while myriads of birds, including massive amounts of pelicans come to the feast as well. The large sandbar that separates the ocean from the river is one of the largest haulouts for the harbor seal – there are hundreds of them here. You can view all of these from high cliffs above the wildlife spectacle below – the numbers of birds and seals are more reminiscent of Antarctica or the Arctic rather then the coastal California just a few hours north of San Francisco.
