The California Current--part of the large, swirling North Pacific
gyre--flows slowly southward along the west coast of North America,
stretching nearly 2,000 miles from southern British Columbia to the tip
of Baja California in Mexico. To a casual observer standing on the
shore, the vast current betrays no discernible signs, yet life abounds
just over the horizon. Stan Ulanski takes us into the water on a journey
through this magnificent, unique marine ecosystem, illuminating the
scientific and biological marvels and the astonishing array of flora and
fauna streaming along our Pacific coast.
The waters of the California Current yield a complex broth of planktonic
organisms that form the base of an elaborate food web that many
naturalists have compared to the species-rich Serengeti ecosystem of
Africa. Every year, turtles, seals, fish, and seabirds travel great
distances to feast in the current's distinct biological oases and
feeding sites. Apex predators, such as the California gray whale,
humpback whale, salmon shark, and bluefin tuna, undertake extensive
north-south migrations within the current to find enough to eat. The
California Current energizes us to celebrate and protect a marine
ecosystem integral to the myriad fisheries, coastal communities, and
cultures of the Pacific coast.