Tag: pacific ocean

Protect the Locals mural in Pacific Beach.

Several months ago this beautiful mural was unveiled in Pacific Beach. Featuring marine life such as a sea turtle, leopard shark and gray whale, it promotes the message Protect the Locals.

The organizations WILDCOAST and BeautifulPB teamed up with artists Jon Hamrick (@just_jon1) and Victor Rodriguez (@tone__dog) to celebrate 25 years of marine conservation with this wall. The artwork is painted on Garnet Avenue one block east of Crystal Pier, on the side of Ananas Pacific Beach.

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National Scholastic Surfing Association championship in Cardiff!

The National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA) is now holding the 2026 College, High School, and Middle School State Championships. The surf competition will take place from February 27 to March 1 at Seaside Reef, Cardiff-by-the-Sea.

If you want to catch the action, pull into the South Cardiff State Beach parking lot and look for the crowd of people!

I was heading down Highway 101 today when I saw the event in progress. So I had to check it out.

I recognized a number of local schools present, including University of San Diego and UC San Diego. I took photos of action out on the water, but it was pretty far away for my camera. On the sand, students, families and friends were just hanging out, having a great day in sunny North County!

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Orphan baby whale sculpture at La Jolla Shores!

These photographs were taken during a recent walk through La Jolla Shores, at the Kellogg Park playground. What you see is the 16-foot-long life-size bronze sculpture of J.J., an orphaned baby California gray whale.

The malnourished baby whale, near death, was rescued off the coast of Marina del Rey in 1997, and nursed back to health at SeaWorld. She would ultimately be released back into the Pacific Ocean to resume her migration to Alaska.

The sculpture of J.J., which children love to ride and play on, was created by sculptor D. Lynn Reeves. It was commissioned by Friends of La Jolla Shores and was installed at the Kellogg Park playground next to the beach boardwalk in 2011.

Signs posted beside J.J. tell the tale of her rescue and of the creation of her beautiful sculpture.

The image of J.J. also appears in the nearby mosaic Map of the Grand Canyons of La Jolla.

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Views from UC San Diego sunset overlook.

The UC San Diego Brian & Nancy Malk Sunset Overlook opened last summer. Situated high above Scripps Institution of Oceanography, an elevated platform offers wide views of the Pacific Ocean and parts of coastal La Jolla.

If you’d like to enjoy amazing panoramic views, head down La Jolla Shores Drive to Midpac Lane and look for the small parking lot.

The new overlook includes picnic tables and a bench where you can sit, relax and gaze out over the ocean. Native plants flourish around the platform and pathway.

Nearby, an informative sign tells how the Kumeyaay people lived in La Jolla (Matlahual) for thousands of years and have acted as stewards of the land. This area was part of a lagoon. It was an important natural resource that provided useful materials–for basket making, medicines, fishing, hunting, gathering and more. The sign at the overlook was developed in partnership with Jamul Indian Village and Mary Munk.

I visited recently on a sunny day…

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Whale Watch Festival at Cabrillo National Monument!

Whale Watch Festival 2026 will be held tomorrow at Cabrillo National Monument, Saturday, January 10th, 9 am to 4 pm.

Visitors to the National Park will have panoramic views of passing whales from the high Kelp Forest and Whale Overlook. During the day there will be exhibitors, speakers and activities, and people with good eyes pointing out distant spouts and flukes.

It’s now the peak of the winter migration of gray whales from Alaska to Baja California. I’ve heard reports of many sightings off our coast.

I’ll be busy elsewhere tomorrow, so I headed to Cabrillo National Monument today to see what I might see.

I noticed the tall ship America out on the wide Pacific Ocean. Assuming it was on a whale watching excursion, I watched the water in its vicinity for a while. I think I glimpsed a spout. An expert at my elbow would’ve helped me with sightings!

It was a beautiful sunny day and the weather should be the same for the festival. If you go, have fun!

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Morning views from the Cliffhanger Café.

These photographs were taken this morning. I found myself at the Cliffhanger Café and Bar, overlooking the ocean at the Torrey Pines Gliderport in La Jolla.

It was cloudy but predictably beautiful. The wide Pacific Ocean and sky above was painted with complex light and subtle variations of color. Green grass in the foreground, below the deck of the café, produced a stunning contrast. No gliders were up yet. A happy dog was running about.

In all of San Diego, is there a more amazing place to sit outdoors, eating a bite? Take a look at the scenery! Imagine a typically sunny day.

I posted an elaborate blog concerning the Torrey Pines Gliderport almost ten years ago. (Time flies.) From what I observed today, not a whole lot has changed. Just as amazing. See those many past photographs here.

After finishing a snack on the deck, I wandered down to the bench you see in the above photo…

This bench with an amazing view beyond many potted plants has a plaque…

Morgan Meredith Rohde… Drawn to the ocean and kissed by the sun, radiant, exuberant, always smiling, Morgan lives in our hearts forever.

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Christmas returns to the Crystal Pier!

There’s a very cool holiday tradition at the Crystal Pier in Pacific Beach. Every year, a Christmas tree and wreaths appear at the pier’s end!

This year the festive scene, hovering magically over the blue Pacific Ocean, is just as wonderful as ever. The big Christmas tree lights up at night, and creatively made wreaths hanging along the pier’s white wooden railing celebrate the season, courtesy of Pacific Beach businesses and community organizations.

I walked down Garnet Avenue today and couldn’t resist a stroll out over the water. Starting from the Crystal Pier Bait Shack, this is what I found…

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Thorny shrub protects beautiful Sunset Cliffs.

The California Box Thorn might appear scraggly and unremarkable, but it helps protect the bluffs of beautiful Sunset Cliffs from erosion.

Several of these plants are protected at the north end of Sunset Cliffs Natural Park in Point Loma. A nearby sign explains how the California Box Thorn (Lycium californicum) is native to the coasts and islands of Southern California.

If the shrub looks dead, it probably isn’t. It’s simply dry. After a rain, the tiny leaves turn green and you might notice white bell-shaped flowers and red berries. Birds love the berries!

It’s summer. The protected plants that I photographed are green and obviously watered.

If you’d like to become one of the Friends of Sunset Cliffs, check out my final photograph of information in the nearby kiosk. You’ll see an email address.

And yes, Sunset Cliffs with its rugged sandstone bluffs is one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in San Diego!

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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

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Funky sculpture in Carlsbad overlooks Pacific Ocean.

A funky sculpture has been erected in Carlsbad overlooking the blue Pacific Ocean. I thought you might enjoy seeing it.

As I walked along a dirt path atop the bluffs near Carlsbad Boulevard, a bit north of Cerezo Drive, I stumbled upon this fun artistic creation. Painted scenes, palm frond faces, a colorful heart, flags.

Who made it?

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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

Feel free to share!

Memorial plaque at Dave’s Beach in Carlsbad.

Dave’s Beach in Carlsbad is a scenic spot that is popular with radio-controlled glider pilots. Small model aircraft are launched by hand above the bluffs beside the Pacific Ocean. The slope provides excellent uplift to keep gliders aloft. Learn more about Dave’s Beach here.

When I walked this way in 2023, I found a lot of gliding activity. See those photographs here. I also discovered a memorial plaque dedicated to Dave Kellogg.

I failed, however, to notice a second nearby plaque. I discovered it yesterday.

The shadow of a chain link fence is visible in my photograph…

In Loving Memory of Our Friend

ORAN “ORANATOR” BLOODSWORTH

Whose spirit will soar on here forever

Feb. 10, 1965 – Sep. 23, 2019

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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

Feel free to share!