Live from Monterey Bay, it’s your national marine sanctuary!

by Olivia Fielding

That’s right, from August 31 to September 2, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary will have its own riveting reality show, Big Blue Live, on PBS.

photo of a kelp forest and anemone

Why is this federally protected marine area just off of California’s central coast getting its own 3-night special? Simply put, because of its remarkable beauty and the diversity of marine life in its waters. Home to 34 species of marine mammals, more than 180 species of seabirds and shorebirds, at least 525 species of fish and an abundance of invertebrates and algae, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is known as the “Serengeti of the Sea.” Its diverse and productive marine environment is surrounded by spectacular coastal scenery, including sand dunes, rocky cliffs, rolling hills and steep mountains.

Scientists, filmmakers, photographers and other experts will come together in the sanctuary in late August to film some of the ocean’s most interesting sea creatures gathering to feed on the abundance of food in the bay. Viewers of Big Blue Live will be in for a treat, with the chance to see humpback whales, sea lions, dolphins, elephant seals, sea otters, great white sharks, shearwaters, brown pelicans, blue whales and more. Monterey Bay’s unique geography, with a deep ocean canyon close to shore that drives upwelling currents rich in nutrients, brings species by the thousands into the once endangered, now thriving, ecosystem.

photo of a an otter

Big Blue Live will be broadcast from the Monterey Bay Aquarium and from NOAA vessels, as well as from Monterey, California shoreline locations. Through state-of-the-art filming technologies and live reports from air, by boat and under the waves, viewers will be able to experience the action of the sanctuary themselves. As Paul Michel, Superintendent of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, explains, “Big Blue Live is an exciting opportunity to highlight the incredible diversity and abundance of wildlife we have here in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Monterey Bay is the place to be in late August, with the wide range of animals that are here, so make sure you tune in and check it out!”

photo of 2 pacific white sided dolphins

Whether you’re a marine life enthusiast, your child’s favorite animal is a sea otter, or you just like to appreciate the beauty of the ocean, tune in to PBSAugust 31 through September 2 at 8 p.m. Eastern to catch Big Blue Live -- and catch a second broadcast at 8 p.m. Pacific. Not a U.S. resident? Never fear! The show will also be broadcast live on BBC in the UK.

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is a crown jewel of the underwater world, and Big Blue Live will give you a once-in-a-lifetime chance to witness some of the amazing things that happen hidden beneath the waves. Don’t miss it!