Explore the wonders of one of Earth’s natural crown jewels: California’s Monterey Bay—the hottest hot spot for biodiversity in North America, according to The Nature Conservancy.

This is a place of giants, from redwood forests on land to forests of kelp offshore. Monterey Bay supports iconic wildlife from delicate Monarch butterflies to soaring California condors, and from secretive mountain lions to majestic blue whales. All survive in a region where cosmopolitan migrants mix with rare local species.

Monterey Bay’s natural abundance is the result of a unique confluence of land and sea, shaped by the forces of fog and fire and influenced by the actions of people. After the Gold Rush, a massive overexploitation of resources stripped the land of trees and the seas of fish and marine mammals. But that ecological collapse has been reversed in our time. Bay of Life describes a remarkable recovery which shows that damaged ecosystems can be restored when people care and act together. That offers a model for other places at a time when we need such stories of hope.