Discover Amazing and Beautiful Sea Creatures at the La Jolla Tide Pools, La Jolla Cove, and La Jolla Children's Pool!Just north of La Jolla Shores beach are the La Jolla Tide Pools. South of the shores is La Jolla Cove and La Jolla Children's Pool Beach. All are very beautiful and definitely worth a visit. If you walk up the beach past the pier you'll come to a rocky area known locally as Dike Rock. Right before the rocky area starts to turn into another cove is where the La Jolla Tide Pools are at low tide. I've seen sea anemones, sea cucumbers, fish, shellfish, starfish, and even an octopus during my visits to the La Jolla Tide Pools. Just make sure to check to make sure when low tide is before you go. The beach at La Jolla Cove is a very small beach within walking distance from the Children's Pool Beach, and is considered one of the most beautiful beaches in Southern California. The sand on this beach however is coarse and gritty. Above La Jolla Cove is Scripps Park, a grassy area excellent for picnicking. The beach is also within walking distance of many shops and restaurants. La Jolla Cove is popular for swimming, scuba diving and snorkeling. However, since La Jolla Cove is within the San Diego-La Jolla Underwater Park(a marine refuge area), "Swimming devices" (surfboards, boogie boards, even inflatable mattresses) are not permitted at the cove, and this rule is carefully enforced by the lifeguards, specifically the part defined as the Ecological Reserve. Just a short swim away to the right of the coast is "Sunny Jim Cave," a popular destination for tourists (see "La Jolla Cave" link). No fishing or collecting of marine invertebrates, (even taking dead specimens or shells) is allowed. All sea animals are highly protected in this area by law, and individuals taking part in festivities such as crab hunting, fish punching, and hermit crab domination are at high risk of criminal prosecution. The La Jolla Childrens Pool is home to many Harbor Seals. In 1990's, to help promote a reserve at Seal Rock, Sea World began dropping all rescued and rehabilitated harbor seals from the entire county in the kelp beds off Seal Rock near this beach. The seals were used to humans and joined them while they swam there. To this day they are very acclimated to people and will play with swimmers and divers. Often the seals will nip at the feet of divers and are particularly attracted to the hands and feet of smaller swimmers. While no deaths have occurred, lifeguards on the beach have added tourniquets and hospital grade skin disinfectant to their daily stock of supplies. Swimming is allowed but not typically recommended due to a high Coliform Index which some believe is due to excessive seal feces. This, however has never been proven. Though many people do swim there, few get sick, and fewer still are hospitalized. California sea lions also use this beach as a haul-out area. Children are warned to avoid the Children's Beach during the pupping season lest they be hauled in, not out, of the ocean. La Jolla Cove
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