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Help Save California Sportfishing!

H & M landing fleet save california sportfishing

I have an important announcement, and I need your help! You see, the California Air Resource Board (CARB) has proposed a new and virtually unattainable metric for all harbor craft boat engines. The new rules make it especially tasking to the small family-run sportfishing/whale watching boat owners. How bad is it? Well, so bad that if passed, most will go out of business! So I need your help! Would you please sign the form below, so we can help save California sportfishing?

save california sportfishing red button

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Touring Ocean Beach Park-Lompoc, CA

Ocean Beach Park Lompoc featured image

Did I ever mention that my husband is originally from Lompoc? It is an inside joke between us- a small-town boy meeting a city girl. So, where is Lompoc, which is pronounced LOM-poke? Located 268 miles northwest of San Diego, Lompoc is often referred to as the flower seed capital of the world. The town was established in 1888 and is located in Santa Barbara County on the Central Coast of California. It is a small agricultural town that the Vandenberg Airforce Base surrounds. I informed my husband that if we were to visit,  my one desire was to go to the ocean. So we went to Ocean Beach Park in Lompoc, CA, and I am here to share.

Why Lompoc?

Lompoc Map central southern california

A little back story-We just celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary this past July 4, so we decided to go to Las Vegas to commemorate the joyous occasion.

It was nice to revisit where we were married (Treasure Island) and reminisce. On a side note, it was not pleasant to go to Las Vegas during Quarantine in 2020, but that is not what this post is about, so I digress.

After we were done with the ridiculous heat of Nevada (100 degrees plus), we headed northwest for six hours to see family in  Lompoc. As a rule, it is almost always chilly and overcast there. And to say that I was looking forward to not being so hot is an understatement!

Noting that we were only in town for less than a day, I thought having the family meet us over at Ocean Beach Park for a pizza picnic would be an outstanding idea.

It was perfect timing without even knowing just how lucky we were. If this had been any other time before 2020, we would not have been able to enter Ocean Beach Park.

More on this later.

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San Diego Beach Buzz- January 2020

la jolla strand 2019 San Diego Beach

Can you believe that 2020 is almost here? Me neither! One of my New Year’s resolutions is to go to the beach more. How about you? At San Diego Beach Secrets, our primary goal is to be as informative regarding anything and everything there is to do and see on the coast of San Diego.

So here, I present to you our very first newsletter- the San Diego Beach Buzz!

Down below are a few examples of things to do on the coast of San Diego County for January.

Important Information Concerning the Ocean Waters in January

To start, I must get this pertinent information out of the way. It is not advisable to enter any of the beaches off the coast of San Diego County in January, especially after heavy rains.

border field state beach Tijuana culverts storm
Tijuana River Valley culverts found right on the US/ Mexico border

All beaches south of Coronado are closed due to sewage contamination from Mexico, while all San Diego County beaches are also closed due to dangerous urban runoff after recent rainfall.

Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence here in San Diego during the winter months. There are usually signs posted, warning of high bacteria levels, but I highly recommend not entering the water at all, especially near river mouths (lagoon inlets)

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Best San Diego Hikes on the Coast

Encinitas Bluff Tree Best San Diego Hikes

San Diego County has some of the best coastlines on the entire coast of California. From the rugged seashore, with towering sandstone cliffs found in North County San Diego, all the way down to the open estuaries and sandy beaches in South County San Diego. Today I would like to list some of my favorite San Diego hikes you can experience on the coast of San Diego.

All San Diego hikes listed will be taken only with a negative low tide. Please check out the tide chart before embarking on your adventure, as some of these walks are dangerous if the tide comes upon you. A good rule of thumb would be to allow a couple of hours before the high tide comes back in. Remember, a very high tide always follows a shallow tide.

One more thing. I have previously written extensively on these sites and have linked each post appropriately, so click on the underlined links for more information.

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List of San Diego Launch Ramps

Pepper Park Launch Ramp San Diego Bay

Are you thinking about coming down to visit San Diego with your boat or sailboat? Did you know there are ten San Diego coastal boat launch ramps?

Here is a complete list of all available San Diego boat launch ramps. I will concentrate on the entire county of San Diego but only on the coast.

 Also, I will be including smaller launch ramps where you may enter smaller boats, kayaks, and paddleboards.

Where are all of the San Diego Boat Launch Ramps?

South Shores Launch Ramp Mission Bay
South Shores Launch Ramp- Mission Bay

Did you realize that San Diego County has three separate bays to launch out of- Oceanside, Mission Bay, and San Diego Bay? Altogether, there are ten different boat launch ramps.

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List of All San Diego Sportfishing Party Boats

Helgrens Sportfishing Boat going into dock

I want to present a complete list of all public San Diego Sportfishing Party Boats. First, what is the difference between a Party Boat and a Charter Boat? Well, to put it simply, a Party Boat is available to anyone who would like to come. While on the other hand, you can say that a Charter is a private rental where the public is not welcome to join.

I will list all available Party boats in San Diego County, starting first up north in Oceanside Harbor.

A Few Much Needed References

I have included here a link to Sportfishingreport.com.  If you look towards the bottom of the list, you will see all of the San Diego Sportfishing party boats and Charter boats that go out daily. Have a look! Every Sportfishing boat in California is listed here. What I like about this site is that every fish caught is recorded.

Here is a valuable page as well-The Current California Recreational Fishing Regulations.

The Captains and crew are well aware of the rules and regulations, but it never hurts to get an idea before setting out to fish.

Also, I would like to include “Everything Thing You Need To Know About Fishing in Mexico,” as it can get very confusing.

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Whale Watching in Southern California

Short Beaked Common Dolphin Whale Watching In Southern California

On July 9th, 2018, my husband and I set off to Newport Beach to go whale watching for my 50th birthday present. You see, we both agreed to do something out of the ordinary for our monumental birthdays; I mean, how often do you turn 50? Ok, once, yes, I know, but it is a big deal, right?

If you ask anyone who knows me, they will tell you that I am a little crazy about whales. I also love the summer, so summer plus whales, now that calls for a celebration! Summertime whale watching in Southern California is an opportune time to see the most majestic whale there is- the blue whale. Oh, did I mention that the blue whale is my totem animal? More on that later.

Before this trip, I had not been whale watching in Southern California for over 20 years, so I was excited for this day!

First, I didn’t want to go on the traditional whale-watching cruise; I wanted to try something different. So today, we would be going on a RIB- a rigid inflatable boat out of Newport Landing, in Newport Beach Harbor in Orange County.

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Birch Aquarium-La Jolla

Warm water tank Birch Aquarium La Jolla

Birch Aquarium is located on the Scripps UC San Diego campus overlooking the Scripps Pier and the Pacific Ocean. Partnered with the Scripps Institute Oceanography (SIO), the Birch Aquarium is a fabulous place to visit to learn about all the ocean’s natural wonders and creatures.

More than 460,000 people visit this aquarium annually. There is so much to do and learn here.

Let’s now take a look at everything the Birch Aquarium has to offer!

Ellen Browning Scripps Memorial Pier

Birch Aquarium-La Jolla General Information

Jellyfish Birch Aquarium

button may birch aquarium la jolla

Website- https://aquarium.ucsd.edu/

Phone- (858) 534-3474

Hours- 9am-5pm daily

Free Parking for 3 hours-Handicap parking available in front of the Aquarium

  • Adults- 19.50
  • Children(3-17)- 15
  • Seniors- 16.50
  • Students- 16
  • College Students for assignment- 12

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Let’s Take A La Jolla Coast Walk!

la jolla coast walk
La Jolla Shores Beach La Jolla Coast Walk
A view looking out to La Jolla Shore beach

La Jolla is a popular seaside coastal community located 20 minutes from Downtown San Diego. La Jolla is one of the first places I take visitors from out of town. And once here, we venture off on a La Jolla coast walk.

Walking the Coast of La Jolla

There are so many things to experience in La Jolla, but it is an absolute must to walk the coast of La Jolla.

There are all kinds of things to do in La Jolla: hiking, beachcombing, biking, swimming, diving, snorkeling, and kayaking; the possibilities are endless!

And do not get me started on all the fantastic photo opportunities available!

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Experience San Diego Whale Watching

California gray whale san diego whale watching

It is that time of year again! California’s official state marine mammal, the California Gray whale, is starting its way down South! Generally speaking, this is the best time for San Diego whale watching.

San Diego Whale Watching

Whales pass through San Diego year-round but usually prefer to stay more than five miles offshore. On the other hand, Gray whales tend to keep close to the shore when traveling South; as a result, this is a great time to see them from onshore.

Let us now look at a few fascinating facts about the Gray whale; also, I have included a summary of some other possible whales you are most likely to encounter while on a San Diego whale watching tour.

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Adventures of a Fisheries Technician-70 Miles of Coast

Fisheries Technician

I wanted to add a few more facts, concerning my time as a San Diego Fisheries Technician, which allowed me time to explore the coast and get paid to do it.

I Love the Ocean!

As I have gone over a little bit of this before on my For the Love of San Diego Beaches, I wanted to add a bit more information.

After graduating from High School, I transferred my life down south to go to college. One of the first places I visited was the beautiful beaches of San Diego!

It was love at first sight!

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