Watching marine wildlife from shore

Seals and sea lions on shore

NOAA Fisheries says seals and sea lions come ashore to rest and nurse their young, often on busy beaches. Close contact can interrupt those behaviors and may lead a mother to abandon her pup. Harassing them breaks federal law. NOAA’s West Coast page asks you to stay at least 100 yards from them, pets included, even if the animal shows no reaction. Its signs that you are too close are staring, fidgeting or fleeing.

NOAA’s national Marine Life Viewing Guidelines page gives 50 yards as a rule of thumb for seals and sea lions. The two NOAA pages differ. The 100-yard figure comes from NOAA’s West Coast Region, which covers California, and its stranding page repeats it, so plan on 100 yards here. On the sand, the same agency says to keep dogs on a leash, especially during harbor seal pup season, and to move off at the first sign of disturbance. For the limits that apply to boats and paddlers, see kayaking and paddleboarding.

Where people see them

Near Crescent Bay, the city says Seal Rock, about 120 yards off the north point, takes its name from the seals and sea lions that take refuge there. It bars swimmers and kayakers from the rock. From the ramp at the end of the Treasure Island Park trail, the Laguna Ocean Foundation says a harbor seal may be sunbathing near Goff Island, and asks for at least 150 feet of space. NOAA’s 100 yards is twice that distance, so take the larger one.

The foundation also lists dolphin, seal and sea lion sightings near Crescent Bay and Heisler Park. CDFW says sea lions, harbor seals and migrating whales are often seen along the Laguna Beach coast, and says dolphins and sea lions are commonly seen from shore off Crystal Cove State Park.

Dolphins and whales

NOAA says never to feed a dolphin. It recommends staying at least 50 yards from dolphins when you watch from a boat, and 100 yards in some places, and at least 100 yards from whales. It suggests limiting any watch to 30 minutes. Whale seasons, shore lookouts and boat companies are on the whale watching page.

Tide pool animals

Low tide shows a different set of animals, from anemones and limpets to sea stars. The city’s Crescent Bay page tells visitors not to take, collect or disturb any marine life. The tide pools guide covers tide tables, access and the Laguna Ocean Foundation’s eight sites, where biologists and docents talk with visitors. Check in with a lifeguard before you walk out onto the rocks, as the foundation advises.

If you find a stranded or entangled animal

Seals and sea lions often rest on land, so a still animal is not always in trouble. NOAA’s stranding page says to judge whether the animal is truly stranded, to monitor it for 24 hours and to keep other people and pets 100 yards back. Do not touch it, move it or feed it.

For Orange County, the Pacific Marine Mammal Center’s site says to call (949) 494-3050 and ask for the animal care department. Describe where the animal is, any wounds, its size and condition, its behavior and any tags. The center says federal law bars you from pushing a beached animal back into the water, and asks you not to pour water on it. It is the county’s stranding responder, and its own page covers visiting the center.

NOAA also lists a West Coast stranding hotline at 866-767-6114, an entanglement hotline at 1-877-767-9425 and an enforcement hotline at 1-800-853-1964 for harassment. NOAA asks for a report of any dead marine mammal, a live sea lion or seal on the beach for more than 24 hours, and any animal that is obviously sick or injured.

State reserve rules

CDFW runs Laguna Beach’s shoreline as two no-take areas. The Laguna Beach State Marine Reserve runs from Abalone Point to Goff Island, and the Laguna Beach State Marine Conservation Area (No-Take) from Goff Island to Table Rock. In both, it is unlawful to injure, damage, take or possess any living, geological or cultural marine resource, and CDFW says fishing and any take is not allowed. North of Laguna, the Crystal Cove conservation area allows some fishing but bans take from tide pools, and so does the Dana Point conservation area to the south. The marine reserves page maps the boundaries. For the birds on the same rocks, see bird watching.