Beaches gone wild
By Kirsti Scott
Pelicans at Haystack Rock, Cannon Beach, Oregon (Danita Delimont / Shutterstock.com).
If you’re like many beachcombers, you don’t want to share the beach with too many others. But when it comes to wildlife, the more the merrier! (OK, maybe not the alligators.) From birds to bugs, fish to frogs, mammals to mollusks, and even reptiles, following are some beaches just crawling with wild animals. Some live in the sand, some in the water, and many glide above the waves.
Some beaches are better bets for finding wildlife than others, and HawaiianIslands.com has assembled the top 20 best beaches for wildlife. On these beaches you’re most likely to see the widest variety of animal life on the sand, under the sea, and in the sky.
Key Findings
California sea lions sitting on rocks at the beach, La Jolla Cove, San Diego, California (PradaBrown / Shutterstock.com)
La Jolla Cove in Southern California boasts 143.7 animal species per 10 acres, which is the densest variety of animal life at any U.S. beach. Located at the edge of a deep submarine canyon, with giant kelp forests and a rocky reef, La Jolla Cove is home to California sea lions, sea turtles, dolphins, leopard sharks, stingrays, pelicans, along with many species of fish. During the year, gray whales and orcas migrate along the waters just offshore.
Cannon Beach in Oregon boasts the highest variety of wildlife altogether, with 471 unique species spotted over the past four years.
Great Egret, Malibu Lagoon, California (William Cadena / Shutterstock.com).
Malibu Lagoon State Beach in California boasts the most bird species, with 165 spotted by visitors.
American alligator, Cape Canaveral National Seashore, Florida (JATillard / Shutterstock.com).
Canaveral National Seashore in Florida has the most reptile species, with 24.
Green sea turtle, La Jolla, California (Julian Gunther / Shutterstock.com).
La Jolla Shores in California has the widest variety of marine animal species, clocking in at 177 kinds.
Roseate spoonbills, Texas (Wang LiQiang/Shutterstock.com). Ghost crab, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (Philip Silver / Shutterstock.com).
Great Blue Herons, Pensacola Beach, Florida (Steve Bower / Shutterstock.com). Royal Terns, St. Pete Beach, Florida (Eric C. Roberts / Shutterstock.com).
HawaiianIslands.com
This article appeared in the Beachcombing Volume 40 January/February 2024.
