Snorkeling at Laguna Beach

Under the expert guidance of Mr. Lawrence, twelve Webb students went snorkeling and tide-pooling in the clear waters of Laguna Beach this Sunday. With visibility at 15-20 feet, we had only to contend with occasional waves in our undersea exploration. From bat rays to sea urchins, starfish to seals, we saw it all. After Mr. Lawrence collected some specimens for his campus aquariums, we headed into town for a great lunch at BJ's and then back to campus. A perfect Halloween day.

Alec checks out a sea urchin that Mr. Lawrence scooped up.

Juliana and her starfish.

Ryan, Anni, and Ali near the cormorants.

We were able to get pretty close to Seal Rock. So close that the smell made us turn around. :)

Trick-or-Treat!

Sea urchins are over-populating this particular area of Laguna Beach. You can see several purple ones on this rock.

Ali practices the fine art of deep-sea snorkeling. Take a deep breath, dive down, and then blow REALLY hard when you come up. It allows you to get to the bottom and pet some of the creatures that look fun. Or, in Mr. Lawrence's case, catch the occasional shark.

This striking anemone was in a tidepool. After the snorkel, we spent some time looking at the ecosystem of creatures who spend their lives in the craggy rocks just on the edge of the water. You can also see a small crab at the bottom right of the picture.

Though this anemone could probably eat Juliana's foot (over the next 100 years or so), she took her chances and gave it a little nudge.

Ryan, Kyle, Yiwa, Ian, Marja, Mr. Lawrence, Juliana, Daniel, Ali, Mairin (behind Ali), Anni, Jake, and Alec