Spending time along the California Coast has many rewards, not least of which is the abundant wildlife. Here are some of my favorites, grouped taxonomically (a great word that I never get to use).

Seals & Sea Lions

California sea lions seem to be everywhere — they’re so common that native Californians don’t even seem to notice them. But I was mesmerized by the giant herd that hangs out at Monterey’s Fisherman’s Wharf.

Another group of pinnipeds that lolls on California’s beaches are elephant seals, so named for the adult males’ prodigious snouts.

Members of this elephant seal colony, called the Piedras Blancas Rookery, can be found pretty much year-round at Hearst-San Simeon State Park, just north of Hearst Castle. And wow, are they amazing to watch (and hear).

Whales & Dolphins

Many species of great whale, including blue, fin, minke, and humpback (that’s what you’re seeing above), migrate up and down the California coast all year long.

I was fortunate to see 13 different humpback whales on my whale watching trip off the coast of Monterey. But you don’t need to go out on a boat to see these whales — you can spot them from shore in Monterey if you have a pair of binoculars.

If you want to see dolphins, you’re going to have the most luck if you’re out on the water. I saw this pod from the deck of the Catalina Island ferry:

The types of whales and/or dolphins you may see vary by season — so if you want to try to search for something in particular (emphasis on try), check the whale migration calendars first.

Otters

Southern sea otters can be found all along the central California coastline, wherever mussels are ripe for the picking — I saw them in Monterey, Pebble Beach, and Morro Bay. Sea otters are fascinating critters; they’re the largest member of the weasel family, but they’re the smallest marine mammal in North America. And they spend a remarkable amount of time grooming themselves (all while keeping their extremities out of the water to stay warm).

Birds

I feel terrible clumping all birds into a single category, because there are dozens of them along the coastline. In addition to the pelicans and cormorants above, I caught glimpses of oystercatchers, gulls, hummingbirds, jays, and more. Most birds, however, are not cooperative iPhone photography subjects, so it’s not easy to share most of what I saw. But this acorn woodpecker on Catalina Island was very polite about staying still.

Sea Anemones

It’s worth heading out at low tide to check out what lives in the tide pools at the water’s edge. I’m reluctant to try to ID these anemones, because that’s a somewhat tricky business, but I loved studying them along the rocks at Pebble Beach.

Sea Stars

Another denizen of California’s tide pools, the bat star (above, at Pebble Beach) is one of at least fifteen different kinds of sea stars that you can find along the coast.

Rabbits

Many people see rabbits mostly as pests these days … but hey, they’re still wild creatures. That little guy above, whom I saw at the beach near San Simeon, is either a desert cottontail or a brush rabbit (it’s very hard to tell them apart).

Squirrels

Squirrels generally don’t make it much higher on people’s wildlife enthusiasm lists than rabbits (after all, they’re in the same rodent family as mice and rats). But as an East Coast gal — all of our squirrels live in trees — I was fascinated by the California ground squirrel.

Bison

Ok, I didn’t actually see any bison in the wild, but they do roam around Catalina Island — introduced in the 1920s as part of the background for a film set, they’ve never left. Should you want to see bison without a hugely long trek into the Catalina Island hinterlands, you can pay a visit to Golden Gate Park in San Francisco — but there, you’ll have to view them through a fence.

More Marine Life

If you want to see more marine creatures in California, one of the best (if most expensive) places to do it is the Monterey Bay Aquarium. They focus heavily on marine life from the region. And if you don’t want to leave the comfort of your home, you can watch their live cams here!

Planning to pair your coastal wildlife spotting with a scenic drive? My Pacific Coast Highway highlights post will show you the best stops along the way.