The underwater world of La Jolla

Silvery-bronze with dark oval saddle markings. One of the most iconic La Jolla encounters. Thousands migrate here annually to mate in the warm shallow water — the only known mating site in the world for this species.

Reddish-brown to silver-gray with small black spots and seven gill slits (most sharks have five). A prehistoric-looking shark that cruises the kelp forests in spring. One of La Jolla's most thrilling encounters.

Short, broad head with a blunt snout and prominent ridges over the eyes. Tan to brown with dark spots. Nocturnal predator that hides in crevices during the day.

Yellowish-brown with dark and light blotches. Named for its ability to inflate its body with water when threatened, wedging itself into crevices so predators can’t extract it.

Slender, gray shark with a long pointed snout. Scripps researchers discovered that the same pregnant females return to La Jolla every three years, carrying 40–50 pups each.

Diamond-shaped with a distinctive raised head and long whip-like tail. Dark brown to olive on top, white underneath. Often partially buried in sand, creating a silhouette that’s unmistakable once you spot it.

Small, nearly circular ray with a short tail and venomous barb. Brown to gray, well-camouflaged against sand. The most common cause of stingray injuries at La Jolla Shores.

Guitar-shaped body — half shark, half ray. Long pointed snout, olive to sandy brown on top. Despite the name, it’s actually a ray, not a shark. Cruises the sandy bottom in shallow water.

Diamond-shaped disc with a long whip tail bearing a venomous barb. Gray-brown on top, white below. Larger and more angular than the round stingray.

Brilliant orange — impossible to miss. California’s official state marine fish. Juveniles are even more spectacular: orange with iridescent blue-purple spots that fade as they mature.

Males are striking: black head and tail, bright red-pink midsection, white chin. Females are uniform pink-red. Large, distinctive teeth for crushing shellfish.

Massive, dark-bodied fish that can weigh over 500 pounds. Once nearly extinct from overfishing, they’re making a slow comeback in Southern California’s kelp forests.

Dark reddish-brown with long antennae that often extend from crevices, giving away their hiding spots. Unlike Atlantic lobsters, California spiny lobsters have no claws.

Named for the distinctive blue eyespots (ocelli) below each eye. Master of camouflage — can change color and texture in an instant to match its surroundings.

"Sea slugs" in dazzling colors — purple, orange, electric blue, white with gold tips. Over 30 species found in La Jolla waters. They’re tiny, so slow down and look carefully.

Translucent white with iridescent spots. During winter spawning events ("squid runs"), thousands gather on the sandy bottom near the canyon to mate, lay eggs, and die.

The most iconic residents of La Jolla Cove. Brown, with external ear flaps (unlike seals). Males are much larger with a prominent forehead bump (sagittal crest). The La Jolla colony is almost all female with one large alpha male, locally known as “Bruno.”

Spotted gray-brown coat, no visible ear flaps, large dark eyes. More streamlined than sea lions and better adapted to swimming. The Children’s Pool colony is one of the most accessible harbor seal viewing sites in California.

Sleek, fast-moving dolphins with a distinctive hourglass pattern on their sides (tan and gray). Often seen in large pods of 50–200+ individuals, sometimes mixed with bottlenose dolphins.

Large, graceful sea turtle with an olive-brown shell. An endangered species that’s been increasingly spotted in La Jolla waters as San Diego’s resident population grows.