Sun- and sea-worshippers congregate in coastal La Jolla, Del Mar, and Solana Beach, where migrating California gray whales can be seen in winter. View the gentle giants, or learn about local marine life at the Stephen Birch Aquarium-Museum at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla.

Don't forget to check out the Museum of Contemporary Art on Prospect Street in La Jolla and nearby in La Jolla cove is an protected underwater marine park, great for snorkelling and scuba diving.  The Shell Shop actually hides a secret tunnel down through the cliff to the water's edge.