Marine Life

The greatest meeting of land and water in the world

Marine Life

Species

Several aggregating anemones clustered on a rocky tidepool surface, their tentacles spread open among small shells and bits of algae

Aggregating Anemone

A cluster of articulated coralline algae with pinkish-red, branching fronds growing on a rocky underwater surface alongside small snails.

Articulated Coralline Algae

An orange bat star resting on a rocky tidepool surface above seaweed and an anemone

Bat Star

A black abalone with a dark, oval shell resting on a rocky, algae-covered tidepool surface, its muscular foot slightly visible along the shell’s edge

Black Abalone

A close-up view of many small black turban snails clustered together on wet rocks, showing their dark spiral shells with lighter tips.

Black Turban Snail

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 blueband hermit crab emerging from a black-and-white snail shell on a rocky tidepool surface, its red antennae and blue-banded legs visible

Blueband Hermit Crab

Clusters of brown sea palm algae with tall, palm-like fronds stand upright on wave-swept rocky shoreline, their stems anchored tightly to the rock.

Brown Sea Palm

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 dense cluster of California mussels attached to a rocky surface in the intertidal zone, exposed at low tide.

California Mussels

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

Close-up view of feather boa kelp draped across coastal rocks, showing long, dark brown fronds with many small blades lining each side.

Feather Boa Kelp

A giant green anemone with bright green tentacles arranged in a circular pattern around its center, resting on a pink and sandy tidepool surface.

Giant Green Anemone

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)

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Lined Shore Crab

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

Close-up image of a translucent planktonic larval fish floating against a black background, showing delicate fins, speckled markings, and a faint purple-pink tint.

Plankton

Close-up underwater image of a purple sea urchin with long spines resting on a rocky, algae-covered ocean floor.

Purple Sea Urchin

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

Risso's Dolphin

Close-up view of rock weed, a brown intertidal algae with flat, branching fronds and small, air-filled bladders, attached to coastal rocks.

Rock Weed

A rough limpet clings to a wet, brown rock surface in the intertidal zone. Its oval, ribbed shell is brown and white, blending into the textured rock around it.

Rough Limpet

A bright yellow sea lemon nudibranch with a bumpy, textured surface rests on a rocky, algae-covered tide pool floor. Its frilly gills are visible near the back of its body.

Sea Lemon

Bright green sea lettuce algae growing in shallow intertidal pools among rocks, with sunlight reflecting off the water.

Sea Lettuce

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 dense mat of long, bright green blades of surf grass grows among brown and red seaweed in the shallow intertidal zone, with water flowing gently over the plants.

Surf Grass

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

Como Explorar los Charcos de Marea con Seguridad

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

Hermit Crabs

Interpreting Climate Change Point Lobos

Intertidal Encounter with the Bat Star

Ochre Sea Star at Whalers Cove

Off Cannery Point

Purple Sea Urchins Part 1

Purple Sea Urchins Part 2

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

Tide Pool Etiquette

Virtual Snorkel at Whalers Cove