Elkhorn Slough Wildlife Tour: Eco-Friendly Catamaran Experience

The El Cat, constructed in Moss Landing, is a completely electric, Coast Guard-certified boat that can carry 32 passengers. It’s a customized 37’ catamaran, specifically designed for navigating the waters of our beloved Elkhorn Slough.

Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve - Join us on a one-of-a-kind, electric-powered catamaran ride for a wildlife tour along one of California’s largest tidal waterways. Enjoy a narrated cruise along the Elkhorn Slough, a vibrant and lively wetland located on Highway 1 between Santa Cruz and Monterey in Moss Landing. Scan for otters,…
What's Included
  • Expert local tour guide
Location
Monterey Bay Eco Tours - Elkhorn Slough Eco Nature Tour
Clam Way
Monterey Bay Eco Tours is located at 10932 Clam Way with plenty of free parking available on site and easy to find. Check in at the booth in the parking lot.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(442 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Marybw257zk
Apr 16, 2026
Endlessly fascinating! - Outstanding from beginning to end. Our guide, a polymath with extensive knowledge in many fields, gave us fascinating info about the slough and the wildlife and was responsive to our many questions. So glad I took this trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ruth_j
Apr 11, 2026
Come see the animals while learning about them. - Lovely tour with lots of sea animals and a very knowledgeable guide. If you’re a lover of animals, this is a tour for you. Excellent for kids of all ages and adults alike.
Review provided by Viator
Tourist640089
Apr 7, 2026
Relaxing and informative - We truly enjoyed the relaxing ride on the electric boat down the Elkhorn Slough. The quiet boat and the ability to move around increases your ability to see all the wildlife. Aaron, our naturalist, did an excellent job informing us of the history of the slough and all the wildlife we observed. We saw a wide variety of birds and many sea otters, seals and sea lions. Many had pups which was extra fun. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Carolyn_and_john_b
Apr 7, 2026
An electric experience! - We picked a cool, rainy day to do a tour of Elkhorn Slough with this company. They provided an excellent experience for our family of six despite the weather. Joey and Aaron tried to dry off the seats on their nice quiet electric catamaran and provided blankets for us to huddle under. Aaron was our naturalist and helped us spot lots of sea otters (some with pups!), harbor seals (some with pups!), and many types of birds. He was really informative. You cannot control the weather and this crew helped us get great value out of our trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gail_z
Mar 26, 2026
Great trip - Loved by the whole family. Great captain. Highly recommend. Saw a ton of otters and seals and the captain was very knowledgeable and entertaining.
Review provided by Viator
Diane_m
Mar 26, 2026
Lots of Sea Otters! - We had a great time traveling along the water learning about the creatures that live there: otters, seals, sea birds, and plants. Our guide was very knowledgeable and answered questions readily from the group on the boat. We watched the wildlife living their lives along the way, saw lots of otters especially so if sea otters are your passion definitely book a tour.
Review provided by Viator
Ollie_h
Mar 26, 2026
A great day on the water!!! - This was a wonderful smooth water trip. We saw an assortment of water fowl, otters. Harbor seals and sea lions. Joey and Elaine were our Pilots and Guides. It was wonderful. Bring a jacket.
Review provided by Viator
John_g
Mar 23, 2026
Slough love. - The 1- 1/2 hour trip was exceptional. Who knew about slough?? Aaron does! His Naturalist, paleontologist, ecology knowledge of all things Moss Landing, Salinas River, Monterey Bay, Flora, fauna & especially bird life was astonishing. He even knows about the Western Flyer, John Steinbeck & Ed Rickett’s marine lab boat! He’s one of the crew!! It was lovely. I recommend this with 5 stars.
Review provided by Viator
Holly
Mar 23, 2026
Must see all the otters! - What a special place! Aaron was a fantastic guide and we saw SO much wildlife!! Do not miss this area.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Moretrips51
Apr 18, 2026
Not a fave - There were a few mama otters with babies, some cormorants, a few pelicans, some geese, some seals, some sea lions and not much more. The boat is comfortable but all 4 of us (2 grandparents, a teenager and a 10 year old) were bored. On the back almost no one was engaged in the trip other than enjoying a quiet boat ride. The commentary was average.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $45
up to 6 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).