Spring 2024

130 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 2 4 education, and those are the things we cele- brate,” Lanting explains. “In a simple sense, you have Monterey Bay at the edge of ecological col- lapse after the Gold Rush period, and then it was brought back, not just because nature is resilient, but because people cared and they acted togeth- er. It’s the human dimension around Monterey Bay that makes it ultra special.” Through Lanting and Eckstrom's photos, we experience the fruits of many collective labors, and get to look into the green eyes of a moun- tain lion, or see what appears to be a smile on an elephant seal. “To us, animals are ambassa- dors for ecosystems, and we make them part of a bigger narrative. How the animals are thriving or not tells us about the health of the environ- ment, and that makes Monterey Bay so special because these big animals that were nearly wiped out, from whales to mountain lions and everything in between, they’ve bounced back because we’ve improved the quality of our envi- ronment, and there’s a bigger tolerance to let them live right along side us—so that’s how we look at animals,” Lanting says. The “Bay of Life” shoots had the beauty to rival any of the most exotic locales, but not as much of the risk. Together, Lanting and Eckstrom have been exposed to angry animals, diseases and the occasional stomach churning pests.“The big animals usually will tell you what The extraordinary shape of a humpback tail is briefly exposed as this ocean giant dives down to feed in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The power of a winter storm from the Pacific Ocean is expressed in a 50-foot wave at the famous Mavericks surf break near Half Moon Bay, where Santa Cruz surfer Peter Mel keeps his cool.