A few weeks ago Joe and I traveled down south to
Vision Quest Ranch and Monterey as Christmas gift. We toured the ranch and the next day kayaked along Cannery Row. Vision Quest is a small ranch in Salinas that houses and cares for exotic animals; some are rescues others were show or circus animals. I must say, of the "weekend" (2-3 day) trips that we have taken this has been the most educational one so far. Follow with me as I list some of the amazing facts I have learned.
It seems like we spent the most time with the elephants:
Paula, Kristi, Butch, Buffy & Mailika (mostly Butch) so I shall start with them. All were African elephants (big ears).
- They stand on their tippy-toes, they have a large fat pad that cushions and supports their weight.
- They cannot run or jump; they must have at least two feet on the ground due to their weight.
- The elephant scale tops out at 10,600 lbs, This is know because Butch maxes out the scale.
- The trunk is all muscle, it is strong enough to uproot a tree (SALAD BAR IS OPEN!) yet has such a fine dexterity that a elephant can pluck a single grass blade.
I witnessed
Kristi peel a single smashed jellybean off of the floor of her night pin (she had stepped on it earlier). I was very amused that this giant, five plus ton animal showed similar behaviors to that of my 75 pound dog, Sparrow, at home. They both have the "I'll go where the 'noms' are" and the "I LOVE TREATS!" mentality. They are also both naughty food takers: Butch took from a bucket that was too near and Sparrow will snatch things off the counter sometimes.
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| Joe feeding Butch bread NOM NOM! |
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| Ed the hyena |
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The next animal, the Spotted Hyena,was my favorite at Vision Quest. The trainer said there is not a lot know about them though. Here are the facts I learned.
- They have social matriarchal hierarchy.
- Although females are typically larger it is still difficult to distinguish male from female as the females posses a faux penis in which they give birth through.
- They are second only to the Crocodile in regards to bite pressure. They can also digest bones.
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| Breakfast with Butch |
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| Our breakfast |
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All in all Vision Quest was a really great little place. On the morning of our departure Butch and some of the trainers delivered our breakfast and we got to feed Butch again.
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| My kayak and a seal |
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After leaving Vision Quest we headed south to Monterey. We settled into
our room then ventured down Cannery Row to partake in a kayaking tour by
Adventures by the Sea. We do have experience kayaking in the delta at
Big Break Regional Shoreline
so we could have just rented a kayak (we brought mine with us) and went
off on our own but I am glad we did the actual tour. It was Friday and
there were no other guests so it was like a
private tour! Our guide was great. She used to be a docent in Monterey.
She was very knowledgeable about the bay's flora, fauna, and history.
She showed us the different kinds of jellies that were in the water. I
don't think I would have noticed most of them without her guidance. I am
100% sure I would never have held a moon jelly (a non-stinging jelly).
She also showed us the otters and seals. I had a lovely "raspberry"
conversation with a seal. Joe was ahead and back to me at the time
thought it was just the seal making all the noise. HA! I learned that a
group of
otters is called a raft!After the kayaking tour we spent the evening with friends. The next morning we visited the pier to see the seals but ended up spending most of the time on the boat launch dock watching the jelly fish. They were gorgeous and mesmerizing. I had a great time and i hope others will visit these places to have a similar experience.
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