Snorkeling at Laguna Beach

It's tough to get away in May with so much going on here on campus, but we managed to get to the ocean one last time this year for a snorkeling trip with Mr. Lawrence.  He took us to Aliso Beach near Laguna, where the waters were warming up and the snorkeling was once again fantastic.

 Jeainny holds a lobster that Mr. Lawrence caught.

 Johnathan diving

 Mr. Lawrence knows all the spots, and this rock next to the beach is a great jumping spot.  Here, Austin launches himself. And then I do.

Snorkeling at Laguna Beach

Though we arrived in Laguna Beach to morning fog and a forecast of low visibility, the weather cleared and the water calmed, yielding a perfect day for snorkeling.  As always, under Mr. Lawrence's expert guidance, the students on the trip had an educational adventure, learning about ecosystems and then seeing them firsthand as Mr. Lawrence explored the depths for creatures to share.  He inspired many of us to dive for our own specimens, and even led a couple of us through an underwater tunnel.  We're lucky to have his experience and encyclopedic knowledge on trips like this -- he literally brings his subject to life.

 Aliso Beach, south of Laguna.

 Mr. Lawrence instructs the group on the basics of snorkeling. Austin really enjoys how he looks in a wetsuit.

 Austin and Kevin with a snail

 Kristin

 The garibaldi is the California state fish, and is only found along the state's coast.

 The wavy-topped turban is only found between Laguna Beach and San Diego.  The cove where we swam has some of the largest in the world.

 Johnathan brought his GoPro for some underwater filming.

Mr. Lawrence wears special gloves for "hunting," and always manages to share his catch with the students on the trip.  Below, a young lobster (no, not quite ready for butter).

 Katie and Kate were a little nervous at first, but they warmed up to it.

 Spotted Damselfish

 Melissa and one of the many sea urchins in the area.

 The urchins have exploded in recent years, depleting the colorful forests of algae (below).

After the snorkel, several students took a leap off a nearby rock.  Cole launches himself here, right through a water spot on the lens (sorry!).

Snorkeling at Laguna Beach

If you could go snorkeling with anyone in the world, you should go snorkeling with Mr. Lawrence.  There aren't many people out there with a combined knowledge of undersea life, courage to dive down and find it, and ability to actually catch it.  On a one-hour snorkeling trip this past weekend, Mr. Lawrence found a sea urchin, several endangered abilones, and caught a lobster and a shark (again!).  We also saw wrasses, leopard sharks, and garibaldis, the state fish of California.  Quite an adventure!

 Danny with a sea urchin

 Anni with an abilone

 Mr. Lawrence shows off the lobster he caught (click to enlarge).

 Justin

 A garibaldi

 Ian uses a strand of kelp to dive down and find an abilone.

 Anni with the horned shark -- it has a sharp "horn" sticking out of its dorsal fin.

Ian

Urban Field Trips - Snorkeling

"Urban" Field Trips take on another meaning when the urbanity you live in is right on the Pacific Ocean. Mr. Lawrence took advantage of our proximity to great snorkeling to lead a group of boys to the underwater city of the ocean...

...where Cameron quickly got hold of a lobster.

These pelicans enjoy the March warmth of Laguna Beach.

If Webb had its way, overpopulation would quickly become an issue in this urban environment.

Snorkeling at Laguna Beach

A week after stomping through the snow on San Gorgonio, we were on the beach at Laguna, taking advantage of Webb's location so close to both. Mr. Lawrence was our fearless leader and specimen finder, identifying everything from kelp snails to coweries (courtesy of Harrison) and urchins to lobsters. The water was a bit cold (57 degrees!) but that didn't phase this group of novice snorkelers. Even though it was the first time for five of the six students, they dove right in, and immediately started diving to the bottom in their best imitation of Mr. Lawrence.

Mr. Lawrence searches the bottom for exotic specimens...

...and immediately comes up with a sea urchin, which Landen is holding.

Joe searches for his own, among a rainbow of fins.

Harrison found an urchin that wasn't quite ready to let go.

Sardines anyone?

Mr. Lawrence holds a crab he found in a tidepool.

Landen, Cole, Camille, Harrison, Joe, and Juliana get ready for a pizookie at BJ's.

Camille and Juliana celebrate another successful outdoor trip.

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