California Snorkelin’

San Diego is a common starting point for trips heading out into the Pacific Ocean for us. It is easy to fly to and a great place to use as a base to explore Southern California and beyond. The city is vibrant and full of great places to visit eat and drink. But it was a coastal town, about 15 miles away, called La Jolla that really stole our hearts and it has one of the most incredible shore snorkels we have ever done.

La Jolla is a popular town and can get crowded in the hot summer holidays. It has a rugged coastline, fringed by white sandy beaches and the tourists share this coast with the resident Californian Sea Lions, who sunbath and frolic in the shallow waters.

We stayed in a hotel near to the beach, and so could don our swimwear and carry our cameras, masks, snorkels and fins down to the beach, which is access via a series of steep steps and just walk right into the cool Pacific Ocean waters. As soon as we were in, playful sea lions zoomed past us, spinning and turning at incredible speed.

Protected since 1929, the La Jolla Cove Ecological Reserve is teeming with fish, with the bright orange Garibaldi being the most prominent. The Sea lions have established a rookery inside the reserve so a close-up encounter with these beautiful sea mammals is certain on every snorkel adventure. Also watch out for Leopard Sharks and even Sevengill sharks if you venture into deeper water and the kelp forest.

Snorkeling La Jolla is a fantastic day out for all the family!