Winter 2024

horizon at any given moment. There are so many parts of the ocean around the world where you just don’t see that—you don’t get that kind of experience.”An attorney who’s also an avid surfer, Kelly’s passion for our small but important slice of the vast Pacific Ocean runs deep. One of her many jobs is communicating what this federal distinction means for all of us. “A National Marine Sanctuary is a federally pro- tected area in the ocean, and it’s a management tool that provides for human interaction with the ocean while still protecting its natural resources. It’s a federal park, but underwater,” she explains. In our case, the waters hold space greater than Yellowstone National Park, a canyon deeper than Grand Canyon, a dormant underwater volcano, and you—on a surf-board or a beach towel or angling for dinner.“Humans are allowed to commercially fish, recreationally fish, scuba, kayak, boat, surf. But certain things are prohibited: seabed mining, ocean dumping, oil drilling. Most extractive uses are prohibited.” The foundation’s work is multi-faceted, meas- urably successful, and includes opportunities for inclusion for all who live and work here.“Part of what we do is we are the spokespeople and the advocates for the sanctuary. We communicate to the community what a sanctuary is, why is it important, and why you would want to support it. I think a lot of people don’t have any idea what a marine sanctuary is, and most have no idea how unique a habitat and feature is right here in our backyard because it’s hidden under water.” A lot of water.Try to imagine more than 7.4 million Olympic-sized swimming pools. MBNMS reaches from Marin in the north to Cambria in the south, and from approximately 30-miles offshore to the high-tide lines you’ll witness from terra firma.The bounty of life that exists in the space is unquantifiable.“Here we sit in Monterey Bay on one of the most biologically diverse habitats on the planet. We are referred to as the ‘Serengeti of the Sea.’ And it’s because we have this natural feature called the Monterey Canyon that is deeper than the Grand Canyon—nearly two miles deep—that creates all of these ecosystems up and down the depths of this canyon.” MBNMS is also home to the largest known octopus garden in the world. It sits 80-miles southwest of Monterey, and 10,500 feet deep at the base of an extinct volcano named the Davidson Seamount. It might seem preposterous now, but oil drilling was being considered in these waters as recently as 50 years ago. That’s when then- (Left) The MBNMS Foundation partners with several local ocean conservation groups, from the Monterey Bay Aquarium to MBARI, guaranteeing ongoing research and improvements to our sanctuary. (Below) Founding father of the sanctuary, Secretary Leon Panetta, and philanthropist and busi- nessman Ted Balestreri. Both have served on the board of directors since its inception. 106 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 2 4 Photo: Steve Lonhart Photo: Steve Lonhart Photo: Kelli Uldall Once almost extinct, the number of California sea otters is back to around 3,000. Sanctuary protections ensure these remarkably cute critters continue to thrive.