The one thing that I really wanted to do on our trip to San Diego was to see the sea lions and seals that hang out in the La Jolla area. We got up early one morning and headed out and were not disappointed one bit. It was a bit of a cloudy morning but the critters were plentiful and we enjoyed seeing them lounging around all over the rocks and beach and playing in the water.
The easiest way to identify if the animal is a California sea lion or a Pacific harbor seal is that sea lions have external ear flaps. Sea lions also have larger and stronger flippers that allow them to “walk” up the cliffs and bluffs of La Jolla Cove easily. Seals have smaller webbed front flippers and kind of use their stomachs to belly crawl.
Regardless of which one they are they are adorable to watch and people come by the droves to enjoy hearing them communicate with one another and to watch them play. Be forewarned if you visit — the smell is pretty strong in this area between all of the seals, sea lions and birds. The rocks are covered with … excrement. I would not say this is the healthiest place to visit if you are a germaphobe.
This guy was showing off for everyone taking pictures. Of course we kept our distance and did not approach them — if a mama feels threatened she will abandon her babies so it is always good to respect wildlife and keep your distance. Of course not everyone uses good judgment as we all know and we saw parents holding young children close to them for pictures and walking on slippery rocks for that perfect shot. Sorry… no. It’s just not worth it.
This was one of the best parts of our trip to San Diego (other than seeing Rebekah dance) and I was happy to once again see some sea lions and seals.
Have you visited La Jolla Cove? I would love to hear all about it so leave me a comment and Comment for a Cause for Reece’s Rainbow. You can read more about that by clicking here.
