The Gyre

When these two currents meet- the colder Oregonain zone and the warmer California zone – something unusual happens. The two opposite forces – opposite both in their direction and in their temperature – meet and a powerful gyre rotation is created, swirling clockwise around the northern Channel Islands. Where these currents meet is known as the Transitional zone. As the current swirls, it stirs up nutrients from the top 300 feet of the ocean, mixes animal life from the northern and southern Pacific oceans, and creates one on the most optimum marine feeding zones in the world. As the eddy swirls, it picks up and circulates nutrients that attract a wonderfully diverse array of sea animals – from massive blue whales and frolicking dolphins, to sea lions and fish of all sizes.