Bay of Life: From Wind to Whales is an exhibition by Frans Lanting and Chris Eckstrom that brings land and sea together for a unified view of Monterey Bay and its natural abundance. The Bay of Life is a unique confluence of land and sea, energized by the sun, shaped by the forces of fog and fire, and influenced by the actions of people.

“We know of no other place in the world where land and sea connect in such an extraordinary way.”    –Frans Lanting and Chris Eckstrom

Monterey Bay is the hottest hot spot for biodiversity in all of North America, according to The Nature Conservancy. It is a place of giants, from redwood forests on land to forests of kelp offshore. Monterey Bay supports iconic wildlife from secretive mountain lions to majestic blue whales. All survive in a region where far-flung migrants mix with rare local species that live nowhere else in the world.

This exhibition brings land and sea together for a unified view of Monterey Bay and its natural abundance. That richness is due to a unique mix of physical features and microclimates, shaped by the powerful influence of the ocean—and by the actions of people. After the Gold Rush began, a great demand for natural resources stripped the land of trees and depleted the sea of marine mammals and fish. But that ecological collapse has been reversed in our time.

Bay of Life celebrates a remarkable recovery which shows that damaged ecosystems can be restored when people care and take action together. That may offer a model for other places at a time when we need such stories of hope as we face new challenges of resource stewardship, habitat connectivity, and impacts from climate change.

This exhibition will run from January 19–April 30, 2023 and is co-sponsored by Bay Photo Lab and the Humanities Institute.

For full exhibition information please visit: https://www.santacruzmah.org/exhibitions/bay-of-life

Project Core Collaborators: Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Santa Cruz County Office of Education, Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History, Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, Seymour Marine Discovery Center, Watsonville Wetlands Watch

Header Image: Humpback Whales, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, photo by Frans Lanting.