SMA ON A SCENIC FLT WITH PAX; ENTERED CLASS C AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC. CONTACTED CTLR AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO PROCEED THROUGH THE AREA. POSSIBLE ENTRY INTO RESTR AIRSPACE PROTECTING WILDLIFE.

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I DEPARTED SQL DIRECT TO WATSONVILLE TO PICK UP A PAX FOR A SCENIC FLT ALONG THE MONTEREY COAST. I'VE FLOWN THIS PORTION OF THE COASTLINE A FEW TIMES BEFORE; BUT ALWAYS DIRECTLY OUT OF SQL. I DEPARTED WATSONVILLE VFR AT APPROX XA00 LCL SQUAWKING 1200. THE VISIBILITY WAS GREATER THAN 40 MI; AND NO MEASURABLE CEILING WAS APPARENT. THERE WAS SOME THIN SCATTERED FOG ALONG THE COASTLINE VERY CLOSE TO THE GND. I CLBED TO 1500 FT MSL. AT THAT POINT; I TURNED S AND BEGAN SOME TURNING MANEUVERS; INTENDING TO SHOW MY PAX SOME OF THE BASIC CTLS OF THE ACFT. IN THE NEXT FEW MINS; I ALLOWED THE ACFT TO CLB TO 2000 FT MSL. I SOON NOTICED MONTEREY ARPT ON MY L. I QUICKLY CONSULTED MY VFR CHART AND REALIZED I HAD UNWITTINGLY ENTERED THE OUTER RING OF THE MONTEREY CLASS C AIRSPACE; WHOSE FLOOR BEGAN AT 1500 FT. I DSNDED BELOW 1500 FT AND CALLED MONTEREY APCH AND RECEIVED PERMISSION TO ENTER THE CLASS C. AT THIS POINT; THE FLT CONTINUED S ALONG THE COASTLINE; AND BACK N; MAINTAINING CONTACT WITH MONTEREY APCH UNTIL WE WERE OUT OF THEIR AIRSPACE. MIFFED ABOUT MY AIRSPACE ERROR; I REVIEWED MY VFR CHART WHEN I RETURNED HOME. I REALIZED THAT I SHOULD'VE CONTACTED MONTEREY APCH IMMEDIATELY AFTER SWITCHING AWAY FROM MY UNICOM FREQ. IT WOULD'VE BEEN SAFER FOR THE SCENIC FLT; AND I CERTAINLY WOULDN'T HAVE BUSTED ANY AIRSPACE. I ALSO NOTICED AN AREA S OF THE MONTEREY PENINSULA ALONG THE COAST THAT WAS AN OTTER SANCTUARY. THERE WAS A REQUEST ON THE CHART FOR PLTS TO REMAIN ABOVE 2000 FT AGL IN THAT AREA. DURING THAT PORTION OF THE FLT; I HAD BEEN BTWN 1500 FT AND 2000 FT AGL. I WAS WELL OFF-SHORE; AND APCH HAD NOT MENTIONED THAT PARTICULAR SANCTUARY AREA TO ME WHILE I WAS THERE. HOWEVER; IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO BE FAMILIAR WITH THE CHART AND BE SENSITIVE TO THIS SANCTUARY AREA IF I BELIEVED MYSELF TO BE ANYWHERE NEAR IT. THE TAKE-HOME MESSAGE FOR ME WAS: DON'T PLAN A SCENIC FLT IN AN AREA THAT I'M NOT INTIMATELY FAMILIAR WITH UNLESS I'VE GONE OVER THE CHART CAREFULLY. IN PREVIOUS FLTS OVER THIS AREA; I'VE ALWAYS BEEN IN CONTACT WITH A CTLING AGENCY THROUGH FLT FOLLOWING. BECAUSE I INITIATED MY FLT OUT OF WATSONVILLE WITHOUT GETTING VFR FLT FOLLOWING OR WITHOUT CONTACTING MONTEREY APCH; I OPENED MYSELF UP TO AN AIRSPACE BUST; AND A POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS FLT. I ANYTHING; CARRYING A PAX ON A SCENIC FLT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TIME TO OPT FOR FLT FOLLOWING. THE PLT IS MORE LIKELY TO BE PAYING ATTN TO THE PAX; OR LANDMARKS; RATHER THAN HAVING HIS HEAD ON THE SWIVEL LOOKING FOR OTHER ACFT. I HAD BECOME COMPLACENT ABOUT THE LOCATION AND MY RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE AIR; AND FAILED TO CONTACT A CTLING AGENCY WHEN NECESSARY.