Whales! Photos taken from the shore near Monterey and Capitola, CA

I have neglected blogging, and taking photos, since we’ve moved to California but, decided it was time to share a few shots of whale sightings in the Monterey Peninsula.  It’s been such a thrill and delight to watch whales several times in the last few months, just from the shore. Powerful, peaceful and magical whales…they calm and astound me.

Humpback lunge feeding off the shores of Capitola, CA (July 2014)

Two of the six humpbacks I watched from Moss Landing near Monterey, California (September 2014)

365 Project: 2014 Happy New Year’s Day selfie – Cheers!

365 Project: Before sunset – Kohala Coast Big Island, Hawaii

365 Project: Green sea turtle (A Bay Big Island, Hawaii)

365 Project – 233: Ruby Beach playdate (August 21, 2013)

Olympic National Park boasts gorgeous beaches on the northwestern coast of Washington state but, not all have sandy beaches like Ruby Beach. It’s an easy stroll from the parking lot and if you go left (south), there’s a big stretch of fine sand, as opposed to the more typical coarse sand or rocks found on many ONP beaches. Time it at low tide to enjoy tidepooling, and plan on staying late to catch a stunning sunset. Ruby Beach is a gem we often enjoy with our family and friends. 🙂

p.s. For our family, a few of our other favorite fine sandy beaches are Shi Shi Beach and Third Beach but, they’re not as accessible as Ruby Beach. In comparison, Rialto Beach is absolutely gorgeous and has amazing tidepooling and the famous “hole in the wall”, but, the beach is strewn with rocks and it’s often very windy and thus, colder. Rialto is also a favorite for our family but, if we’re in the mood for swimming and making sand castles, we opt for Ruby Beach or Third Beach. 🙂

Tidepooling before sunset

Yup, the ocean is “warm” for these Pacific Northwest girls! 🙂

365 Project – 156: Happy Paco at Salt Creek (June 5, 2013) #picoftheday #happydog #photography #sunnyportangeles

365 Project – 136: #throwbackthursday Beach lit by fireworks – Coronado,Panama (May 16, 2013)

Today’s Throwback Thursday pic is of a beach in Coronado, Panama where the neighbors were setting off a huge fireworks display during a wedding reception.  This blurry photo looks like a watercolor painting to me and I like how the fireworks tinted the beach and ocean pink and made the palm tree look almost neon green. 🙂

Nikon D7000, 85mm/1.4 lens, ISO: 1600, Exposure: 0.6 sec, F-stop: f/2, no flash; shot at night, light from fireworks

365 Project – 83: Hunting for hermit crabs at Hollywood Beach – Port Angeles, WA (March 23, 2013)

This Spring Saturday morning blessed us with blue skies and splendid sun.  Perfect weather for climbing rocks and hermit crab hunting at the beach!

365 Project – 80: Pool time…Coronado, Panama (March 20, 2013)

365 Project – 79: Horseback riding in Nosara, Costa Rica (March 19, 2013)

Last month I shared a photo of my family horseback riding at sunset in Costa Rica. Here are a few more pics of my daughter on the horse by herself and a glimpse of one of the noisy howler monkeys we saw while riding through the jungle.  It was a memorable experience and definitely one of the highlights of the trip for our entire family.

Horseback riding on Playa Guiones – Nosara, Costa Rica

Spotting a howler monkey while on horseback – Nosara, Costa Rica