Cambria to Morro Bay

We had a comfortable night at Camp Ocean Pines and woke up to a very sunny morning. Thanks to Camp Ocean Pines, we were able to do some much needed composting. With our decomposition out of the way, we took a little time tending to some oak trees that the camp had planted as a restoration project. Shortly thereafter, we headed out. Our ride was short and relaxing and with the wind at our backs, we felt as fast and powerful as a hawk. After a quick stop in Cayucos, we made our way to Morro Bay—the view was as picturesque as a landscape painting.
Following a brief laundry stop in Morro Bay, the riders split up and found various adventures to occupy our free afternoon; some went surfing, some to a local craft fair, some enjoyed the beach and a local book shop. A handful of riders took to kayaks in the late evening, and as the boats slid across the glassy waters of the bay they encountered brown and white pelicans, a variety of waterfowl, and even a few sea otters enjoying the incoming tide.
Seeing endangered species in the wild is quite a special occasion. The sea otter has historically been hunted for their fur, the densest fur of all mammals. Unlike other marine mammals, sea otters rely on their fur rather than blubber for warmth. Sea otters eat urchins, among other things, and therefore help keep the population of sea urchins under control, which in turn promotes healthy kelp forests too! Sea otters spend 1/3 of their day preening themselves, creating air bubbles in their fur to help them float. These air bubbles are essential to their survival and make sea otters significantly susceptible to oil spills which have also affected their population; an interesting connection to our society and effect we can have on natural surroundings. Our kayakers used human powered energy today; no oil spills happening there!
After kayaking, surfing, and biking around, we caught a magical sunset as we made our way to Morro Bay State park campground. Our friend Owen heads home tomorrow and will be missed until we see him on our way down south!

Miles traveled today: 24
Signing out: Whitney, Owen and Abigail