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2023 MBNMS General Calendar

Twelve month calendar of Sanctuary events and meetings. Check back regularly for updates. To view calendars of other marine institutions around the sanctuary, click here.

If you know of an upcoming event of interest to the Sanctuary community, please contact the webmaster for this page so the event can be posted to this page. All postings are subject to approval by the MBNMS Superintendent.

2023

January February March April May June
July August September October November December

January

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Jan 13
  Sanctuary Research Activity Panel (RAP) Virtual Meeting
9am–12pm – For more information or questions, contact Erica Burton by email.
 
 
 
 

January Natural History Events

  • Look for the blows of gray whales migrating south through Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in December and January. Pregnant females come first, swimming along the coastline and are visible from shore as they head for the warm waters off of Baja California, Mexico for calving and mating.
  • The female Northern Elephant Seal population peaks around January 24 at their breeding colonies (Año Nuevo State Reserve and Piedras Blancas beach) in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary; the number of newly–born pups peaks shortly after.
 
   

February

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Feb 3
  First Friday Monthly Art Event: Marc Shargel, Underwater Photography and Kelp Restoration Talk
4pm–7pm – Sanctuary Exploration Center, 35 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. For more information or questions, contact explorationcenter@noaa.gov.
 
 
 
Feb 17
  Sanctuary Advisory Council (AC) Hybrid Meeting at USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Santa Cruz
For more information about the meeting and how to connect virtually, please visit the Advisory Council Meeting Agendas & Minutes page. If you have further questions, please contact Haven Parker by email.
 
 
 
 

February Natural History Events

  • Peak Elephant Seal pupping season in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
  • Gray whales continue journey from Alaska down to Baja Mexico, migrating through the Monterey Bay Sanctuary.
 
   

March

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Mar 3
  First Friday Monthly Art Event: Ammelia Nommensen, Ocean-Inspired Dance
4pm–7pm – Sanctuary Exploration Center, 35 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. For more information or questions, contact explorationcenter@noaa.gov.
 
 
 
Mar 10
  Sanctuary Research Activity Panel (RAP) Virtual Meeting
9am–12pm – For more information or questions, contact Erica Burton by email.
 
 
 
Mar 18–19
  12th Annual Whalefest Monterey
Fun and informative activities and displays celebrating whales and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in the "Whale Watching Capital of the World!". For more information, please contact Amity Wood at (831) 647—4255 or by email
 
 
 
 

March Natural History Events

  • Harbor seal pupping season. Gray Whale migration begins northward from Mexico to Alaska. Cow–calf pairs can seen nearshore throughout March.
  • By mid–march most of the adult Northern Elephant Seals have returned to sea to feed, leaving the pups behind on beaches at Año Nuevo State Reserve and Piedras Blancas to fend for themselves.
 
   

April

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Apr 7
  First Friday Monthly Art Event: Claudia Makeyev, Mermaid Scientist and Science Illustrations
4pm–7pm – Sanctuary Exploration Center, 35 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. For more information or questions, contact explorationcenter@noaa.gov.
 
 
 
 

April Natural History Events

  • By late April most of the weaned Northern Elephant Seal pups have gone to sea to begin feeding. These pups are a favorite prey item for Great White Sharks.
  • Elephant seals are molting
  • The Snowy Plover nesting season begins in April, and runs through August – so please watch your step on the beach!
 
   

May

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May 6
  Snapshot Day 2023!
For more information contact Pam Krone by email.
 
 
 
May 18
  International Museums Day!
Stop by the Sanctuary Exploration Center to celebrate International Museums Day. For more information or questions, contact explorationcenter@noaa.gov.
 
 
 
May 19
  Sanctuary Advisory Council (AC) Hybrid Meeting at Coast Unified School District Boardroom, Cambria.
For more information about the meeting and how to connect virtually, please visit the Advisory Council Meeting Agendas & Minutes page. If you have further questions, please contact Haven Parker by email.
 
 
 
May 27
  The Sanctuary Exploration Center will be hosting Día de la Comunidad, or Community Day
From 10am to 3pm. This day celebrates the fourth and fifth grade students of the Outdoor Equity Program field trips and all of the teachers and college mentors involved in promoting the sanctuary’s health in Watsonville classrooms. Students will be hosting unique pop-up exhibits as well as offering special beach activities to share their new knowledge and ocean connections with visitors. This program is funded by the Outdoor Equity Grants Program, created through AB 209 and administered by California State Parks, Office of Grants and Local Services, in partnership with the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. For information, email explorationcenter@noaa.gov.
 
 
     

May Natural History Events

  • Sooty Shearwaters arriving to feed on the vast resources of the bay
  • The Snowy Plover nesting season begins – so please watch your step on the beach!
  • Harbor seals – Pupping is in full swing at the west beach of Hopkins Marine Station. Watch for them... always a rewarding experience.
  • Gray Whale moms and babies (18–20 ft., 2000+ lbs.) are still working their way up the coast during May. Look for them just outside the kelp line, and sometimes in the kelp beds themselves. See them along the Big Sur coast, off Point Lobos, along the Monterey peninsula, Marina, Aptos, Soquel, Capitola, Santa Cruz, and points north. Instead of crossing the open bay from Point Pinos to Santa Cruz, they tend to hug the coastline to protect their calves from Orcas and great white sharks.
  • Many sea birds,such as the California Mew, and Bonapartegulls; Common and Pacific Loons; Westernand Eared Grebes; Surf Scooters, Red–breasted Mergansers, and others, are changing into their breeding plumage and heading back to their nesting grounds all over the western states, Canada and Mexico.
  • Sea lions – Fisherman's Wharf and the Coast Guard breakwater jetty are normally great places to see California sea lions of all ages, but they (most adults) are leaving the area to return to their breeding grounds on islands off Southern California (Channel Islands) and Baja (Mexico). (At this time the approach to the breakwater is closed to the public for security reasons). Expect an influx of displaced juvenile (male & some female) sea lions this month; the adults (mostly males) will usually return in August and September.
  • Blue whales and Humpbacks are here already.
       

June

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Jun 2
  First Friday Monthly Art Event: Steve Mandel, Plankton Viewing and Photography
4pm–7pm – Sanctuary Exploration Center, 35 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. For more information or questions, contact explorationcenter@noaa.gov.
 
 
 
Jun 8
  World Oceans Day
What are you doing to celebrate and honor the body of water which links us all?
 
 
 
Jun 10
  Celebrate the Base of the Marine Food Web – Plankton!
Family friendly plankton crafts and plankton viewing throughout the day, and learn more with First Friday artist Steve Mandel.
11am–3pm – Sanctuary Exploration Center, 35 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. For more information or questions, contact explorationcenter@noaa.gov.
 
 
     

June Natural History Events

The Snowy Plover nesting season is in full swing – so please watch your step on the beach!

 
   

July

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Jul 15
  Celebrate Latino Conservation Week at a Community Pachanga/Party hosted by our friends at the Monterey Bay Aquarium!
Connect with us and other conservation partners from 11am to 3pm at Heritage Harbor near Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey. Discover the details and find other local events for Latino. To see what events are of interest, and to reserve your spot, please visit this page.
 
 
 
Jul 29
  Get Into Your Sanctuary Celebration
As a destination for ocean recreation, few places on the planet can compete with the diversity of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary! For more information please contact Lisa Uttal at (831) 420-3669 or by email.
 
 
     

July Natural History Events

The Snowy Plover nesting season is in full swing – so please watch your step on the beach!

       

August

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Aug 18
  Sanctuary Advisory Council (AC) Hybrid Meeting at Hartnell College Room D385, Salinas.
For more information about the meeting and how to connect virtually, please visit the Advisory Council Meeting Agendas & Minutes page. If you have further questions, please contact Haven Parker by email.
 
 

September

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Sep 1
  First Friday Monthly Art Event: Tina Fuller Somers and the Art of Block Printing
4pm–7pm – Sanctuary Exploration Center, 35 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. For more information or questions, contact explorationcenter@noaa.gov.
 
 
 
Sep 8
  Sanctuary Research Activity Panel (RAP) Virtual Meeting
9am–12pm – For more information or questions, contact Erica Burton by email.
 
 
 
Sep 23
  39 th Annual Coastal Cleanup Day
9am–12pm. Volunteers come together annually to pick up trash and debris from California's coastal beaches and watersheds. Hosted by the California Coastal Commission. Please check their map as not all cleanups will take place on the 23rd.
 
   

October

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All October!
  Santa Cruz Museums Month!
10 local museums, including the Sanctuary Exploration Center, are inspiring locals to explore with free or reduced admission, store discounts, and special activities. To learn how to participate, please visit here.
 
 
 
Oct 13
  Sanctuary Advisory Council (AC) "Emergency" Hybrid Meeting at Sanctuary Exploration Center, Santa Cruz, CA.
For more information about the meeting and how to connect virtually, please visit the Advisory Council Meeting Agendas & Minutes page. If you have further questions, please contact Haven Parker by email.
 
 
 
Oct 28
  First Dive Into the Deep: Exploring ROVs and the Engineers Who Build Them
2pm–4pm – Witness the launch of a new remotely operated vehicle in the Center's deep-sea exhibit and explore themed crafts and activities. Sanctuary Exploration Center, 35 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. For more information or questions, please email us.
 
 
       

November

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Nov 8
  2023 Ed Ricketts Memorial Award and Lecture
Join the MBNMS Research Activity Panel at the Sanctuary Exploration Center on November 8th for the 2023 Ed Ricketts Memorial Award and Lecture, presented to Tim Thomas and Linda Yamane, both Monterey area cultural historians who have made significant contributions to the field of historical ecology. If you have further questions, please contact Erica Burton by email.
 
 
 
Nov 17
  Sanctuary Advisory Council (AC) Hybrid Meeting at Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute Conference Room, Moss Landing.
For more information about the meeting and how to connect virtually, please visit the Advisory Council Meeting Agendas & Minutes page. If you have further questions, please contact Haven Parker by email.
 
 
       

December

top
 
Dec 8
  Sanctuary Research Activity Panel (RAP) Virtual Meeting
9am–12pm – For more information or questions, contact Erica Burton by email.
 
 
 
 
     

December Natural History Events

  • Look for the blows of gray whales migrating south through Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in December and January. Pregnant females come first, swimming along the coastline and are visible from shore as they head for the warm waters off of Baja California, Mexico for calving and mating.
  • Northern elephant seals arrive at their breeding colonies (Año Nuevo State Reserve and Piedras Blancas beach) in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Two–ton adult bulls arrive first and fight among themselves for dominant positions; as pregnant females come on shore, they join harems of the highest–ranking bulls. The female population peaks around January 24; the number of pups peaks shortly after. By mid–march most of the adult females and males have returned to sea, leaving the pups behind to fend for themselves. By late April most of the weaned pups have gone to sea to begin feeding.
  • Winter water fowl migrate through, 100,000's of ducks and geese rest and feed in the lagoons and estuaries in Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary and northern portion of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

 


Links to other calendars around the Sanctuary



Reviewed: September 08, 2023
Web Site Owner: National Ocean Service

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