South Casa Cove is a great place to dive if you’re looking for a Children’s Pool-like experience without the animal rights controversy that goes along with it. At South Casa your entries and exits will be a little more technical since a tiny, malicious wave constantly pounds the beach but it’s not impossible by any means.

For additional information on this site, check out Scuba Diving in San Diego.

The Marine Room (named after the waterfront restraunt bordering the sand of the same name)  is another entry point for La Jolla Shores. You’ll be able to reach a different section of the canyon from this entry point. So why go through the hassle, you ask? Two words, Leopard Sharks. Depending on the time of year you can find hundreds of them skimming silently across the bottom in anywhere from 6-30ft. of water. If Leopard Sharks are what you’re after, you’ll want to leave the dive gear at home. These animals are very skittish and the sounds of your gear (i.e. the bubbles) will spook them. Your best bet is to use snorkeling gear and stay motionless in the shallow water just outside the surf zone. Good Luck!

INSIDER TIP: Leopard Sharks are harmless and will not attack you, as I’ve learned however - newbies to the sport (like my wife) are often reluctant to believe this

There’s a lot to be said about the Children’s Pool. Donated to the children of San Diego by Ellen Browning Scripps, this man-made alcove offers a convenient beach entry for divers, snorkelers, and swimmers looking to explore the rocky reefs offshore. It is also a popular spot for underwater hunters since it lies outside the La Jolla ecological preserve. It’s also a popular and federally protected spot for seals and sea lions since Seal Rock (a historic seal haul-out) lies just a stone’s-throw away from the beach. There is HUGE controversy afoot about the presence of these sea lions (google it, you’ll see the articles) and to explain the entire thing would take quite a while.

In short, the animal rights people want the seals to have exclusive use of the beach. The rest of the City of San Diego wants the beach to remain open to humans as it was intended. This problem started when the pool was closed for several years to due high concentrations of bacteria from seal poop. With humans out of the water, the sea lions moved in and took over the beach. Now that the bacteria levels are back down, the people want their beach back, and the animal rights people want nothing of it. As of 3/3/2007, the beach is OPEN for human use (provided you do not harass the animals) as long as it isn’t closed for pupping season (a compromise struck between the two groups). Ask a lifeguard before going down to the beach because the animal rights people sit at the stairs and shout/belittle/harass ANYONE who steps foot on the sand. At one time, there was even an altercation where one activist attacked an elderly gentleman with a stun gun.

INSIDER TIP: Arrive early to find parking and check with a lifeguard to GET THE FINAL WORD on whether use of the beach is permitted. If they give you the OK, IGNORE the seal people as you walk down the steps (they will heckle you, guaranteed, they called my wife a “b*tch,” for example.)

For additional information on how to deal with confronting animal rights activists at the Children’s Pool, click here.

La Jolla Shores is one of the more popular dive sites in San Diego. While on the surface it may appear like any other typical beach dive I can assure you that once you’re underwater, there’s nothing typical about it. Located just offshore is the La Jolla submarine canyon, one of the deepest places in the world. To find it, all you have to do is swim straight out from the bathrooms at Vallecitos street and at around 40ft. or so you’ll notice the bottom starts dropping out in a dramatic series of cliff-like ledges (think: stairs) that range in height from 5-20ft. You can follow these ledges north or south and go as deep into the abyss as your experience allows. It’s the southern California version of a wall dive.
As you make this journey, you’ll notice that the sandy bottom is packed with rays, skates, and gutarfish. Once you find the ledges, you’ll notice they are teeming with marine life as everything from octopus to lobster call the ledges “home.”

INSIDER TIP:  Watch for large groups of birds feeding on the surface of the water just offshore as this will usually indicate a “squid run.” If you’ve never seen a squid run you’re really missing out. The squid will coat the bottom in a carpet of eggs and will swarm harmlessly around you in the thousands. Even better, you’ll see lots of animals eating the squid like bat rays and sea lions.

La Jolla Cove is the quintessential San Diego beach dive and snorkeling site. If you’re only in town for a day or so  and only have one dive to make, this should be it.  This rocky-bottomed cove lies within an ecological  preserve  and  will allow you to  see a lot of creatures you’d otherwise only be able to find offshore in the kelp beds. To dive this site, you should arrive REALLY early in the morning to get yourself a parking spot near the grassy changing area and bathrooms. Next, just suit up, walk down the stairs to the beach, and have at it. You’ll start seeing marine life immediately and have a lot of fun.