La Jolla photos

California sea lion nuzzles a huge adult male bull. This is unusual behavior but the bull accepted the tiny pup and did not push it away or injure it.
Species: California Sea Lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 40178  

Royal Tern in flight, adult breeding plumage with black head cap.
Species: Royal Tern, Sterna maxima, Thalasseus maximus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 40241  

Whimbrel Foraging Amidst Spring Wildflowers on Coast Walk, La Jolla.
Species: Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 40256  

California Sea Lions Surfing Waves at La Jolla Cove, San Diego.
Species: California Sea Lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 40278  

California sea lion entangled in fishing line, deep laceration around neck, Point La Jolla.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 40486  

A Perfect Brown Pelican Head Throw with Distant Ocean in Background, bending over backwards, stretching its neck and gular pouch. Note the winter breeding plumage, yellow head, red and olive throat, pink skin around the eye, brown hind neck with some white neck side detail, gray breast and body.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 40794  

California Brown pelican in flight, soaring along sea cliffs above the ocean in La Jolla, California. The wingspan of the brown pelican is over 7 feet wide. The California race of the brown pelican holds endangered species status.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Image ID: 37412  

California sea lion body surfing on large waves, shorebreak, La Jolla.
Species: California Sea Lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 37529  

California sea lion body surfing on large waves, shorebreak, La Jolla.
Species: California Sea Lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 37532  

California sea lion body surfing on large waves, shorebreak, La Jolla. Sea lions are the original body surfers and still the best.
Species: California Sea Lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 37533  

California Brown Pelican claps its jaws, sometimes rapidly several times, perhaps to dislodge debris or simply because its fun and feels good. This is not the same as the "yawn" that precedes a head throw. Adult winter breeding plumage with brown hind-neck.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38590  

Royal Tern in flight, adult non-breeding plumage, La Jolla.
Species: Royal tern, Sterna maxima, Thalasseus maximus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38669  

Adult California brown pelican in transition from non-breeding to breeding winter plumage. Note the brown hind neck of a breeding brown pelican is just filling in. This pelican already displays the red and olive throat and white and yellow head feathers of an adult winter brown pelican.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38679  

California brown pelican orange morph, preening its feathers while on cliffs over the ocean. While this adult brown pelican exhibits the brown hind neck of a breeding adult, it displays an unusual orange throat rather than the more typical red.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38688  

Spectacular Brown Pelican Head Throw Display. This California brown pelican extends its head and bill up and back, stretching its neck and pouch in a behavior known as a head throw or bill throw. Adult winter breeding plumage. Pelican yoga, High Mountain pose, Tadasan.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38691  

Marichyasana, sage twist pose, pelican yoga. Brown pelican doing yoga, actually its preening, bending its neck back to spread preen oil on the back of the head and neck, likely second winter coloration.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38805  

California Brown Pelican Flying over the Ocean, wings outstretch, with a few other pelicans in the background.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38807  

California Brown Pelican banking and turning as it flies over the ocean.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38809  

A perfect Brown Pelican Head Throw with Distant Ocean in Background, bending over backwards, stretching its neck and gular pouch, winter adult breeding plumage coloration.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38879  

Young brown pelican performing yoga Warrior Three or Half Moon Pose Virabhadrasana, on one leg with wings raised and head tipped forward. Possible second or third year winter plumage, immature.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38881  

Pelican in Flight over Huge Waves in La Jolla, foamy ocean background, adult winter breeding plumage, wings spread wide.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38914  

Three California sea lions bodysurf together, suspended in the face of a big wave, Boomer Beach, La Jolla.
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38991  

California sea lions bodysurfing and leaping way out of the water, in La Jolla at Boomer Beach.
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38998  

Harbor Seal Stares Down a Western Seagull.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39062  

Young Pacific Harbor Seal pup splashed by a wave at the waters edge, on a white sand beach in San Diego.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39065  

Harbor Seal Mother and Pup watch a Western Gull. The gull may be looking for placental material on the beach during pupping season.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39066  

A small harbor seal pup only a few hours old, resting on a sand beach in San Diego between episodes of nursing on its mother. Over 50 harbor seal pups were born in La Jolla during the 2023 birthing season.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39067  

Pacific Harbor Seal Pup About Three Weeks Old, hauled out on a white sand beach along the coast of San Diego. This young seal will be weaned off its mothers milk and care when it is about four to six weeks old, and before that time it must learn how to forage for food on its own, a very difficult time for a young seal.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39068  

Pacific Harbor Seal Pup About Three Weeks Old, hauled out on a white sand beach along the coast of San Diego. This young seal will be weaned off its mothers milk and care when it is about four to six weeks old, and before that time it must learn how to forage for food on its own, a very difficult time for a young seal.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39069  

A mother Pacific harbor seal nuzzles her pup, born only a few hours earlier. The pup must bond and imprint on its mother quickly, and the pair will constantly nuzzle and rub against one another in order to solidify that bond.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39070