Monterey Bay Kayaks

Great place to rent kayaks and explore the slough.
Lots of otters and deals that look like giant slugs sunbathing on the beach.

this is one of the best kayaking experiences in northern California :') Moss Landing has less boats and people and that means that there's much more wildlife to see as opposed to somewhere like Monterey. We saw over 20 sea otters, 100s of birds, and a couple seals popped up to say hello during our for four hour trip! The route itself is about 1 1/2 miles one way, and we went in September, meaning, the weather was perfect. There wasn't much wind and current, which is perfect for a beginner kayakers and overall it was an amazing trip! I definitely want to come back here and bring all of my friends :)

The total cost came out to $48 per person in a single Kayak .

Memorial Day 2023
Overcast, little windy but calm and peaceful waters in morning. Arrived 10am, signed waiver & paid for doubles open top kayak, changed (life jacket, wetsuit, waterproof pants/jacket are available with rental), had how to orientation on paddling basics, what to do if capsized, rules in sanctuary, and then off we go! Saw a good number of sea otters resting in eelgrass, some individual otters swimming, a lot of seals sleeping on shore, bunch of pelicans roosting, seagulls. No jellyfish like another reviewer mentioned. Spent about 2hr 15 min round trip. Waves got choppier on way back, definitely recommend to go earlier and return before 1-2pm.

We come here once a month and have an absolute blast. The staff is friendly and extremely knowledgeable and the prices are not inflated like other shops. You can choose to rude tandem with a buddy or single and all the clothing and gear to use like jackets, wet pants or wet suits is complimentary during your visit.

Note for newbies: bring water shoes as you will need to go knee deep upon entry into water.

Parking lot has fee separate to shops and businesses in the marina.

Be mindful of the tides... you will get a real workout if you don't pay attention to low and high tide.. we enjoy going against the current heading in and riding with the current heading back

We recently had friends in town, and wanted to take them kayaking in Elkhorn Slough. We personally owned two kayaks, so we needed to rent two more for our friends. Monterey Bay Kayaks was awesome. We went to the one in Moss Landing and they outfitted our friends with kayaks, paddles, appropriate weather gear, and gave them a safety training. They felt very comfortable on the water and had a really great time. We will definitely use them again for future trips when we need extra kayaks. They offer both single and double kayaks.

You will need to bring $12 in cash however, to pay for parking there at the marina. There is a small dispenser with envelopes and tabs just outside the restrooms.

Marlie is the greatest! She was my basic kayak skills instructor today. First of all, if you have to spend 2 hours with a stranger, you won't find one more fun and easy to be with!

Her skills are amazing, and she's very good at explaining first, then demonstrating a skill, before having you try it on. I felt so supported and cared for!

I'll return for advanced classes and I will ask for her!

If you want to take a tour, you will not find a better guide, and Monterey Bay Kayaks does an incredible job of making sure customers understand how important it is to protect wildlife in the sanctuary.

Book a tour or a class - of you get Marlie, that's one big bonus!

Five stars. Also, their shops carry excellent gear for your water adventures!

This is a must do activity if you're in the Monterey Bay - Santa Cruz region.

We've gone a couple of times and most recently (early August) had by far the most abundant amount of wildlife. As soon as we were near Sea Harvest (restaurant with pier) we noticed dozens of jellyfish peacefully drifting by.

Once we were under and pass the freeway, you're greeted by young otters wrestling in the water. Carefree and enjoying life! Nothing is as exciting as paddling around and having this curious otter pop out from the ocean. Please keep your distance!

As you go deeper into the slough, more and more sea life is seen. Dozens of harbor seals. And more otters!

Around 2.5 hours on the water. We paddled 4 miles total, and had tons of time just floating and watching the animals.

10/10, highly recommend!

This place is it. Wonderful! We did a guided kayak tour through the Slough, and our guides Danny and Carlton were the most knowledgeable, competent, patient, and pleasant people. We got to see everything! There were otters everywhere, and even while keeping a safe distance we got such great opportunities for viewing! If you're in Monterey, this is the one thing that will make your time here feel unique and memorable.

I had the best time out kayaking in the slough. Luckily, I went on a calm day and there were a lot of otters out. Unfortunately, I had a rocky start. It was my first time kayaking and I definitely needed more help and instruction on paddling. The worker who set me up answered all my questions but once I got in the kayak she was gone! I looked back to ask for more assistance but she had left. I wish they had been more hands on. It might just be this location, bc when I went paddle boarding at the Monterey location the worker there was very helpful and stayed out with my group until we were well into the water. Despite the inattentive instruction..I had a great day and would kayak at this location again! It's too beautiful.

We just got back from an awesome Elkhorn Slough kayak tour with MBK and could not recommend more.
Our guide McKenna was awesome, she paddled around with my 7 year old and kept him engaged, and had answers for every question!
First time doing this after several visits and will definitely do again - maybe the Monterey Bay tour or the nighttime bioluminescence tour!