Ocean Sights:

Dolphins - All of the time, usually close in (this side of the kelp beds where they find their food and are protected by the kelp beds from sharks), sometimes jumping clear out of the water, and many times surfing inside the waves (just like in the pictures).

Sea Lions - We have a couple resident sea lions.  Sometimes one can be seen a night on the rocks at Del Mar Shores point.

Otters - Not so often, hard to see because they are small.

Whales - January to March.  You can see their spouts from just past the kelp beds (the brown areas close in just offshore) to the horizon.  Sometimes you can also see their backs, heads, and tails, especially when the ocean is calm. .

About 26,000 Pacific Gray Whales migrate annually from the Arctic Sea to lagoons in Baja California.  After spending the summer feeding in the food-rich waters of the arctic, the Grays swim south along the coast to the bays of Baja California, where they mate and nurse their young. Mid January is the peak of the migration (about 8 whales per hour), but the Grays are visible mid-December through March.  

The whales are migrating from the arctic to the warm bays of Baja California and mainland Mexico, so they will be moving from the north (right), to the south (left). Expect them to be moving at a steady speed of four or five knots (about five miles per hour). Although some swim close to shore, most whales swim in an area that extends from the kelp beds (about 3/4 miles out) out to the horizon. Binoculars are an immense help.  

Note:  Later, in the spring, the gray whales will migrate north again, but they are generally too far out in the ocean to see, even with binoculars.

For more information:  http://www.nps.gov/cabr/whales.html,  http://www.signonsandiego.com/citysearch/feature/514/ .

Strange and Amazing Phenomena:

The GREEN FLASH - Yes, this is not just something that drinkers see!  It happens at sunset when the sun is bright yellow and sets directly on the ocean horizon.  Just as the sun goes out, it flashes green!  This is a scientific phenomena caused by the refraction of the sun's light around the earth.  For more information:  http://mintaka.sdsu.edu/GF/  , http://www.wonderquest.com/GreenFlash.htm , and http://www.48north.com/jan99/greenflash.htm .

The RED TIDE - This causes bright blue-green flashes to shoot across crashing waves.  Really!  It happens usually in September or October, and easiest and most spectacular to see when there are not lights shining on the water, and when the waves are big.  The red tide is actually micro-organisms which emit light when they are agitated (click here for more information).  It is also amazing to see the this by just running your foot or hand through the water on the beach - or scooping up water and pouring it out.