In the fall, visitors to this pier are treated to up-close glimpses of migrating humpback whales feeding just off the Central Coast. The pier is located at the William R. Hearst Memorial State Beach, which is protected under the California Marine Life Protection Act, and is home to a sea otter preserve and part of a colony of 15,000 elephant seals that stretches to neighboring Cambria.
While a lot of visitors pack the pier to catch glimpses of the sea life, the best way to explore the area is via kayak. Cubby Cashen, owner of Sea For Yourself Kayak Outfitters, leads guided tours that launch beside or beneath the pier (you can also rent a kayak for a self-guided tour). Cashen, who for the past 14 years has explored and studied the cove, says every outing yields a different discovery. “Today I saw seals, otters, a sea lion, and about 10 different types of birds, from ospreys to pelicans,” he says.
The sights aren’t limited to the ocean either. Hearst Castle, newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst’s estate-turned-historical-monument, sits majestically atop the hillside directly across from Highway 1.
