A seaside stroll at Point Lobos

We parked at Whalers Cove, an old shore-based whaling station, which has become a popular spot for divers. The hill above the parking lot was covered with poison oak and small pink and white flowers.

As we headed north along the top of the cliffs, we passed our first tiny archipelago of barren rocks sticking out of the sea.

As we rounded the point to Bluefish Cove, a ledge covered with basking harbor seals came into view.

We looked down at the egrets standing on the kelp and using it as a fishing platform, and then passed through a forest of ancient cypresses. In the distance we began to hear sea lions.

Following the sound of barking sea lions, we headed out to Punta de Lobos Marinos, where we had a view of the sea lion rocks. In the distant water (too far to photograph with my camera) we could see young sea lions leaping out of the water and dong flips.

Along the way, we stopped to admire the ice plants which grew along the trail.

As we rounded Sand Hill Cove, the cliffs abated giving us access to tide pools, and we began to get clear views to the south.

At a narrow cleft called the "slot" we waded in to examine the anemones, limpets, and other creatures living in the tide pools.

Continuing on our way south, we took advantage of the low tide to explore the numerous tidepools between the slot and hidden beach.

A few well-sheltered tidal pools housed purple sea urchins. These pools were often the best places to look for other creatures, since the urchins required a steady supply of clean cold seawater to survive.

We were fortunate to find a pair of tidepool sculpins swimming in one of the lower pools which wasn't completely separated from the ocean.

South of hidden beach, the rocks changed to granite, and the tidepools were replaced by sandy beaches.

After climbing back up from the beach, we strolled over to the bird island view point. Enormous numbers of immature cormorants stood on the rocks waiting for their parents to come and let them place their heads inside their parents' mouths to feed them.

We observed a night-blooming soap plant with an open blossom. Afraid of getting locked in the park, we started heading back to the car.

Stopping only for a couple tide pools, and a brief admiration of a stand of sea palm (a kind of seaweed) we soon reached the overlook above Whalers Cove.