La Jolla Shores Kelp Bass

A La Jolla Shores, CA Kelp Bass hides in the sea grass, taken while snorkeling on October 23, 2015 with an Olympus TG-4 Waterproof Digital Camera.

La Jolla Shores lobster

I couldn't resist another La Jolla Shores / Marine room spiny lobster shot, this is a different lobster than the last, taken while snorkeling on October 8, 2015 with a Olympus TG-4 16 MP Waterproof Digital Camera.

Laguna Beach

I like this picture of the Laguna Beach coastline.  I forgot to turn off the camera's underwater mode so it has a red tint.

Laguna Beach Pacific Harbor Seal

You can almost always Pacific Harbor Seals while roaming around the ocean in Laguna Beach, I do not see them often while snorkeling though.  However, if you really wanted to, you could probably just drive from beach to beach and then go snorkeling or diving near where you saw a seal on land.  I would suggest starting north Laguna Beach near Crystal Cove.

Laguna Beach California Spiny Lobster

The Pacific ocean around Southern California is filled with California spiny lobsters.  However, they are hard to see while snorkeling, you will often see parts of them floating on the sea floor or beach.  They do hang out in rocky areas near shore.  They are much easier to see while scuba diving at night.  If you do find a place where they hide, they seem to stay there and you can find them again the next time out.  Laguna Beach is a no take zone for lobsters and fishing now.

Also in this picture is a juvenile Garibaldi with the iridescent blue spots, purple sea urchin, and I think an abalone of some type.

Laguna Beach Keyhole Limpet

The Keyhole Limpet can be found while snorkeling or scuba diving in California.  They are fairly common in Laguna Beach.  Keyhole Limpets are black sea snails with a small non-swirling (flat) shell which has a keyhole in the middle.  They outgrow their shell and I'm surprised they don't get eaten quickly.  I've seen them stay in the same place for weeks.

Laguna Beach Giant Kelpfish

You can see these long, green Giant Kelpfish (apparently not kelp fish) about every time you go snorkeling or diving at Laguna Beach, CA.  They are common in the California part of the Pacific Ocean, the word "giant" in their name is incorrect as they do not really grow more than 2 feet long.
The giant kelpfish in the top picture has an eye issue that is not normal.  The top picture was also taken with a cheaper camera on a day with less visibility than the picture on the bottom.  Unlike most other fish, kelpfish will let you get close to them since they are pretending to be leaves of kelp and darting off quickly will ruin the charade.  They can change colors and sometimes kelpfish are more red and white to blend in with the red and white plants on the sea floor.

Laguna Beach Kelp Snail

A kelp snail (Norrisia norrisia) on kelp at Laguna Beach, California.  The body of the snail is bright orange while the shell is usually off white or brown.  These are very common to see while snorkeling or diving, just look closely at kelp.  The kelp twists with the waves, so keep looking if you don't see any.  The snails supposedly crawl up the kelp during the day, then down the kelp at night.  From time to time you can see them while tide pooling, but not very often.  I've never seen them on washed up kelp either, so they must know to find new kelp when that happens.

Laguna Beach Garibaldi

If the visibility is good, you can see Garibaldi (the bright orange fish) every time you go snorkeling in Laguna Beach.  In some places (like here in Diver's Cove) they will swarm over to you because some divers feed them.  They are near the kelp and reefs in shallow water near shore and are obviously very easy to see.  They are illegal to fish in California.  You can't see any in this picture, but the young Garibaldi have iridescent blue spots, stick very close to the reef and are challenging to take pictures of.

Laguna Beach Round Ray

A round ray or round stingray seen while snorkeling off of Diver's Cove in Laguna Beach, California.  They are hard to find in Laguna Beach, but very common in the back bay Newport Beach and areas of Seal Beach.  Don't confuse them with the more common and larger bat ray.

Laguna Beach Pyrosome

A pyrosome floating around in Laguna Beach, California.  These pink jellyfish like tubes are uncommon, but apparently 2012 was a banner year for pyrosomes.  They seem to wash up to shore occasionally,  so if you see a couple you'll see hundreds.

Laguna Beach Kelp Crab

A Southern Kelp Crab hanging on to the kelp in Diver's Cove, Laguna Beach, California.  Search the kelp and you're likely to find several, they seem to be more later in the year.  If the water visibility is poor, you can entertain yourself trying to find these.

Laguna Beach Bat Ray

A bat ray at Diver's Cove, Laguna Beach, California.  This is a smallish one, you usually find them on the edge of sandy areas on the sand.  They are very common in the area and you can find them just about every time you go out snorkeling or diving if you're looking for them.

Laguna Beach Sea Star

A sea star (no longer called starfish) in Fisherman's Cove, Laguna Beach, California.  You can see these while snorkeling, or tide pooling (at low tide).  They generally hang out on the piles of mussels.

Laguna Beach Sea Anemone

A sea anemone just off the shore at Fisherman's Cove, Laguna Beach, California.  I think it is a giant green sea anemone, but I'm not positive.  You can see many of these snorkeling on the right side of the beach or in tide pools all over the area.

Walking on the beach

Doran Beach, near Bodega Bay, California. Dogs allowed on leashes only!

American River Trail, Sacramento, California

The American River Bike Trail in Sacramento, CA was gorgeous this fall weekend. The trail is a great place to ride your bike or go for a long walk. And by long, I do mean long, the scenic trail is over 20 miles long. Don't worry, there is plenty to gawk at along the way.

Sacramento, No on 8 Rally today

There was a No on Prop 8 Rally tonight in Sacramento on the steps of the Capitol building, the Sacbee puts the crowd at 3,000, but that seems generous to me.

Crocker Park Sacramento

Crocker park in downtown Sacramento, Sacramento does parks well, large grassy areas with a few shade trees spread out, perfect for spending a bit of time in. Crocker park is very small though with only a few picnic tables.

Climbing El Capitan

Some climbers take a break from the rain on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. Read up on mountain climbing in Yosemite.