Monterey Bay:
Hearst Castle:
Elephant Seal colony near the Hearst Castle:
Risso's Dolphins in Monterey Bay:
This fin belongs to a sperm whale, seen on a birding cruise near Monterey Bay. They are very rare, especially this close to the coast.
The the 30+ years that our guide took people on these birding trips, this is only the second sperm whale she saw. The captain on the ship has been on the ocean for 26 years, and this was his first one.
The sperm whale's blow is much shorter and skewed to the left - apparently very distinctive among all the whales:
Moving on the Los Angeles, and invasive species. One of them is the Mitred Parakeet, originally from South America:
They've now colonized Temple City and a number of other neighborhoods in LA:
Originally from Southeast Asia, the Scaly-Breasted Munia feels so at home in LA that it has been officially entered into the American bird species list:
This is a Pin-Tailed Whydah. Originally from Africa, this Los Angeles park bird is most likely an escapee from captivity.
And some other wildlife from California:
