Wildlife in La Jolla

The leopard shark (Triakis semifasciata) is a species of houndshark, in the family Triakidae. It is found along the Pacific coast of North America, from the U.S. state of Oregon to Mazatlán in Mexico. Typically measuring 1.2–1.5 m (3.9–4.9 ft) long, this slender-bodied shark is immediately identifiable by the striking pattern of black saddle-like markings and large spots over its back, from whic

Octopus bimaculatus, or Verrill's two-spot octopus, is an octopus common in the subtidal and intertidal zone of Southern California. It is often confused with the another species that shares a similar range, Octopus bimaculoides.

Octopus rubescens (Commonly the East Pacific red octopus, also known as the ruby octopus, a preferred common name due to the abundance of octopus species colloquially known as red octopus) is the most commonly occurring shallow-water octopus on much of the North American West Coast, and a ubiquitous benthic predator in these habitats. Its range extends from the southern Gulf of California at lea

The Cocos booby (Sula brewsteri), formerly known as Brewster's booby, is a species of booby in the family Sulidae. It was formerly considered a subspecies of Brown booby, but it was split by the American Ornithological Society in 2024 due to morphological and behavioural differences. It is native to the east and central Pacific Ocean.

The California spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus) is a species of spiny lobster found in the eastern Pacific Ocean from Monterey Bay, California to the Gulf of Tehuantepec, Mexico. It typically grows to a length of 30 cm (12 in) and is a reddish-brown color with stripes along the legs, and has a pair of enlarged antennae but no claws. The interrupted grooves across the tail are characteristic

The California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) is a coastal eared seal native to western North America. It is one of six species of sea lion. Its natural habitat ranges from southeast Alaska to central Mexico, including the Gulf of California. Sea lions are sexually dimorphic; males are larger than females, and have a thicker neck and protruding crest. They mainly haul-out on sandy or rocky be

Triopha catalinae, commonly known as the sea clown triopha, is a species of colorful sea slug, a nudibranch, a shell-less marine gastropod mollusk in the family Polyceridae.

The masked booby (Sula dactylatra), also called the masked gannet or the blue-faced booby, is a large seabird of the booby and gannet family, Sulidae. First described by the French naturalist René-Primevère Lesson in 1831, the masked booby is one of six species of booby in the genus Sula. It has a typical sulid body shape, with a long pointed yellowish bill, long neck, aerodynamic body, long s

The common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), or Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, is the most well-known species from the family Delphinidae.

The California two-spot octopus (Octopus bimaculoides), often simply called a "bimac", is an octopus species native to many parts of the Pacific Ocean including the coast of California. One can identify the species by the circular blue eyespots on each side of its head. Due to their friendly temperament and relative hardiness, most experts consider them the best pet octopus. Bimacs usually live

California sheephead are seen here in March, June to October and December.

The swell shark (Cephaloscyllium ventriosum) is a catshark of the family Scyliorhinidae. It is found in the subtropical eastern Pacific Ocean between latitudes 40° N and 37° S, from the surface to 460 m.

Corynactis californica is a bright red colonial anthozoan similar to sea anemones and scleractinian stony corals. Unlike the Atlantic true sea anemone, Actinia fragacea, that bears the same common name, strawberry anemone, this species is a colonial animal of the order Corallimorpharia. Other common names include club-tipped anemone and strawberry corallimorpharian. The anemone is known to carp

Cabezons are seen here in October.

The short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) is a species of common dolphin. It has a larger range than the long-beaked common dolphin (D. capensis), occurring throughout warm-temperate and tropical oceans, including the Indian Ocean although in smaller quantities than other places they are found. There are more short-beaked common dolphins than any other dolphin species in the warm-tem

Horn Sharks are seen here in March to July and September.

The largest living species of dolphin

The gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus), also known as the grey whale, gray back whale, Pacific gray whale, or California gray whale is a baleen whale that migrates between feeding and breeding grounds yearly. It reaches a length of 14.9 meters (49 ft), a weight of 36 tonnes (40 short tons), and lives between 55 and 70 years. The common name of the whale comes from the gray patches and white m

The grey smooth-hound (Mustelus californicus) is a houndshark of the family Triakidae,. It is found on the continental shelves of the subtropical eastern Pacific, from northern California to the Gulf of California, between latitudes 40° N and 23° N, from the surface to a depth of 200 m. It can grow up to a length of 1.24 m.