If you are in the Monterey Area:
Ten miles south of the aquarium is Point Lobos State Natural Preserve. It is, perhaps, the best park in a stellar state park system. You have a view of Pebble Beach Golf across Carmel Bay. But the wildlife is the attraction. The entire park is hiking friendly (and compact). My son and I encountered a ranger who told us if we looked down at this beach, we could see seal wieners. We saw a mother and a baby. Why wieners? It must be that they look like sausages!
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Well later, we found out they were "weaners", lol. I still like "wieners".
Also, a ton of breeding Brandt's Cormorants were on an offshore rock:
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Stop by Cannery Row and/or the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Then twenty miles north is Moss Landing, where you are guaranteed to be able to watch a raft of sea otters from as close as 30 yards away.
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This is a day trip in the Bay Area.