Marine

The tail fluke of a humpback whale rises from the calm blue ocean, water streaming off its edges as the whale dives beneath the surface as seen from Point Lobos State Natural Reserve. Photo credit: Jac Harmer.

Photo credit: Humpback Whale Fluke. ©Jac Harmer

Marine

Look closely, and from the cliffs you can see the tops of seaweed growing in the ocean below — this is the marine Kelp Forest habitat. Keep your eyes peeled for otters, herons and egrets all hunting in the kelp.

Trails

Sand Hill Trail

Sea Lion Point Trail

Species

Close-up of a small translucent beach hopper, an amphipod, crawling through coarse beach sand, with grains of sand stuck to its curved body.

Amphipod

A belted kingfisher in flight.

Belted Kingfisher

A large school of blue rockfish swims through sunlit underwater kelp forest waters, their blue-gray bodies tightly grouped as they move together.

Blue Rockfish

A black Brandt’s cormorant perched on a rocky shoreline with its head raised and wings partially spread, showing a bright blue throat patch.

Brandt’s Cormorant

A brown pelican gliding low over the water with its wings outstretched and long beak pointed forward

Brown Pelican

Long strands of bull kelp with thick stems and tangled golden-brown blades lie washed up on a rocky shoreline beside crashing ocean waves and offshore rocks.

Bull Kelp

A California market squid with a pale, speckled body and long arms swims just above the sandy seafloor in clear blue water.

California Market Squid

A group of California sea lions splashes in shallow water near a rocky shore, their sleek brown bodies glistening in the sunlight as they raise their heads and look around.

California Sea Lion

A large male elephant seal with a pronounced trunk-like nose lifts its head while resting on a sandy beach with ocean waves in the background.

Elephant Seal

Dense floating mass of giant kelp fronds drifting at the ocean surface, showing long brown blades and interwoven strands.

Giant Kelp

A long, yellow-green giant kelpfish swims among dense strands of kelp, camouflaged against the waving blades in the underwater scene.

Giant Kelpfish

A giant Pacific octopus resting on a rocky seafloor, its reddish arms spread out with rows of visible suction cups.

Giant Pacific Octopus

A gray whale surfacing in sunlit ocean water, its mottled skin covered with barnacles as it breaks through the waves.

Gray Whale

harbor seal with speckled gray fur lifts its head above calm blue water, its round eyes and whiskers clearly visible as it swims near the surface.

Harbor Seal

A humpback whale breaching out of the ocean, its massive body rising vertically above the water with its dark, barnacle-covered skin visible against a backdrop of open sea and cloudy sky.

Humpback Whale

Underwater view of a large school of rockfish swimming, some juvenile, among tall kelp fronds in blue-green ocean water.

Juvenile Rockfish

A killer whale (orca) swims at the ocean surface, showing its tall dorsal fin and black-and-white markings.

Killer Whale (Orca)

Close-up underwater photo of a lingcod resting among purple algae and rocks, showing its speckled brown body, large mouth, and bright yellow eye.

Lingcod

Pigeon Guillemot spreading wings while standing on coastal rocks.

Pigeon Guillemot

Risso’s dolphin leaping out of the ocean, showing its gray, scarred body and curved dorsal fin above choppy water.

Risso's Dolphin

Southern sea otter floating on its back in the ocean while holding a large crab above the water with its front paws.

Southern Sea Otter

A western gull stands on a rocky shoreline covered with mussels and barnacles, looking out over the ocean with waves in the background.

Western Gull

A large great white shark swims in deep blue ocean water, its gray back and white underside clearly visible as it passes close to the camera.

White Shark

Videos

Bull Kelp Bliss

2022 Harbor Seal Pupping Season at Point Lobos

Blue Rockfish Above Whalers Cove off Cannery Point

Blue rockfish under the giant kelp canopy at Whalers Cove

Bubble Blowing Harbor Seal

Discover Mysterious Marine Mammals

Harbor seal and pup reunited at Whalers Cove

Harbor seal mom and pup in Whalers Cove

Harbor Seals at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve

Interpreting Climate Change Point Lobos

Off Cannery Point

Point Lobos SNR-El bosque escondido Un cuento del bosque del mar

Sea Foam

Sea Otter at Whalers Cove

Sea Otter Eating Kelp Crab at Whalers Cove

Sea Otter Pounding a Mussel on a Rock

The World of Rockfish at Whalers Cove

Virtual Snorkel at Whalers Cove