Elkhorn Slough Safari
Elkhorn Slough Safari
5
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
For 25 years, Elkhorn Slough Safari has been bringing visitors from all over the world to experience and fall in love with one of California's most spectacular wetlands. The Elkhorn Slough (pronounced "slew") is home to the world's largest population of Southern Sea Otters, and from the comfort of our stable, 27' pontoon boat, you can see them caring for their adorable Otter pups year round. The Elkhorn Slough is also a regular destination for migratory birds, attracting over 300 avian species, and is a pupping ground for hundreds of Pacific Harbor Seals. And, the rowdy antics of California Sea Lions in the adjacent Moss Landing Harbor never fail to entertain visitors. All of our hour and a half long tours feature a trained Naturalist to tell you about the wildlife and history of this very special wetland. Elkhorn Slough Safari is great for families, birders, photographers, and nature lovers of all ages!
Moss Landing, United States
Meets animal welfare guidelines

Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Tours and Tickets by Elkhorn Slough Safari
Travellers talk about
(58 reviews)
(11 reviews)
(16 reviews)

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles322 reviews
Excellent
289
Very good
26
Average
2
Poor
2
Terrible
3

Trail60717552489
1 contribution
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Couples
It was a very lovely experience and I learned some interesting things. The main thing I want to make people aware of is that the incredible pictures this company posts on social media are a little misleading as to how close you actually get to the animals (otters and seals) on the safari. Law prohibits getting very close to them. Those photos must be taken with a professional camera with a high quality zoom lens.
Written 26 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
It’s true that we are careful to follow all laws and protocols for responsible viewing of the sensitive and endangered species in this special ecosystem. All photos of wildlife seen on our tours were taken with a 100-400mm lens on a Canon 70D camera. Safe and responsible close up photography of wild animals can ONLY be done with a zoom lens.
Written 30 October 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

SVShutterfly
Redwood City, CA18 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2023 • Family
If you want to see the slough wildlife, this is perfect. We originally planned to kayak, but the logistics and timing didn't seem favorable on the actual day, and we were able to snag spots on an 11:15 departure (which gave us mostly sunny skies). I'm so glad we did this instead. Not only was there no worry about tides, timing, or currents, but it was very easy to reach the wildlife and to take pictures--and we took lots. (With a 400mm lens, my son was able to take some pretty nice pictures of otters and birds. If you are a serious photographer, the last seat in the boat is the best, and we were grateful the captain, spotting his camera, seated him there.)
We saw more sea otters (well over 50) than I have ever seen at once, including two pups, lots of harbor seals, elegant terns, pelicans, cormorants, sea lions, a peregrine falcon, and much more. The naturalist and captain worked seamlessly together to make sure we saw everything while being respectful of distance, and hanging out long enough for everyone to spot the creatures, and the slight elevation of the boat made it easy to spot creatures across the water.
If you kayak, you would have to spend a lot more time to see what we saw and probably would have missed a lot, even though you would have the option to get closer to the shore and go deeper into the 6 mile slough (we went in about 2 miles). We might kayak another day, but in the time we had, I am thrilled we did this.
Written 12 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Markc66647
San Francisco, CA38 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023 • Couples
Take the tour and see sea otters up close in this natural environment. And sea lions. And seals. In a nice quiet boat with a Captain and Naturalist who know their stuff. Wear a hat. Shop in the gift shop for amazing books.
Written 4 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TravelWhiz1981
Dallas, TX28 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023 • Couples
Had a great tour on Easter Day 2023, seeing a lot of sea otters (some with babies), seals and other sea birds. The guide Jake was fun, knowledgeable and personable.
This is something we would definitely do again next time we vacation in Monterey.
Written 9 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

SeaOtterSavvy
Moss Landing, CA20 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2023
Elkhorn Slough Safari is a classic fixture of Elkhorn Slough and an excellent way to explore this unique habitat and its wild residents in a way that minimizes the footprint left behind. The naturalist is very knowledgeable and has a depth of information on the history of the slough and the natural history of the wildlife living there. Every passenger has a 360 degree view of the scenery and the wildlife. Most importantly, passengers can be assured that the experienced Captain Joe will navigate this tidal waterway with the safety and protection of the fragile ecosystem foremost in his mind. Enjoy a front row seat for this adventure and be comfortable that your captain and host will respect and protect the wildlife residents!
Written 16 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Texron54
Texas43 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2022 • Couples
The Elkhorn Slough Safari is the best excursion we’ve ever taken in our several trips to Monterey. If you want to see more otters, sea lions, seals, pelicans, etc. than you can count don’t miss this trip. It is located about 15 minutes from Cannery Row. Our naturalist Jake and captain Sean were great. Make time for this! You won’t be sorry.
Written 7 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mauibird
Vacaville, CA170 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022
Very easy to book, to board, to enjoy and disembark. Naturalist was very knowledgeable and helpful. Lots of birds and otters and seals to see. Boat is very stable.
Written 19 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Purzilini
Luxembourg93 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022 • Family
We saw so much wildlife! The naturalist on board was excellent, she explained all about the sea otters and the harbor seals, sea lions and the plentiful bird life. We saw over 20 different species of birds and lots of sea otters. It was excellent. I highly recommend this tour!
Written 18 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ltiggertaz
Santa Cruz, CA138 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022 • Family
Amazing day on the water seeing all sorts of animals. It was so much fine to see baby otters and learn about the wild life from the naturalist
Written 19 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

noel94044
San Francisco, CA129 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022 • Couples
I’ve been to the Monterey area many times, but this was my first time to the Elkhorn Slough. I was so impressed by the tour! If you are in the area during the spring, it is a MUST do, as there were many baby otters and seals. I would do it again at other times of the year though. Simple but very informative and fun. Bring a jacket, as the winds can pick up.
Written 28 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Showing results 1-10 of 322

ELKHORN SLOUGH SAFARI (Moss Landing) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go