Swim With Marine Creatures in the La Jolla Cove
If you’re looking to swim with the fishes, you’re in the right place. This kayak and snorkel tour combo brings you the best of our La Jolla Kayak tour and Leopard Shark Encounter tour. Join us at Southern California’s most famous place to snorkel and experience leopard sharks, sea lions, garibaldi, and other marine creatures up close. If that’s not enough for you, you will paddle along the La Jolla Ecological Reserve, over to La Jolla Cove, and gaze in amazement at the astounding sea cliffs.
Why Kayak and Snorkel in La Jolla?
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Tour Details
What You Need To Know
Price
As low as $79 per person
Departure time
1:30pm
Availability
Monday – Sunday, April through October
Duration
2.5 hours
Group size
For more information, click here to see our group tours and team building activities.
Participation requirements
All participants must be able to swim without the assistance of a personal floatation device.
Included
– Kayak
– Paddle
– Life vest (with emergency whistle)
– Helmet
– Wetsuit
– Mask
– Snorkel
Weight restrictions
– 275 lbs. for a single kayak
– 450 lbs. for a double kayak
About your guide
– Certified guide
– 1:5 ratio guide per person
What You’ll See And Do
Our certified La Jolla guides will commence the tour with a safety orientation, and paddle introduction, and guide you on how to use the snorkel equipment. You don’t require previous kayaking or snorkeling experience.
On this tour, you’ll be kayaking through La Jolla Cove and the Ecological Reserve to explore the vast marine life underwater. You’ll take a dip in two unique habitats, including the rocky reef between Goldfish Point and the Emerald Cove and sandy flats outside the Marine Room. Your snorkel gear is on hand aboard the kayak, ready for you to equip and jump into the water, where garibaldi, sheepshead, blue moon, shovelnose guitarfish, and other indigenous fish are waiting to greet you.
After your guided Kayak and Snorkel tour, snorkel gear is available to rent, so you can continue your adventure exploring the shallow La Jolla waters, teeming with life throughout the warm water months.
Kayaking and snorkeling in the La Jolla Ecological Reserve is the best way to explore the underwater world of marine life. The best time to spot the leopard shark is from May to October, which is when they appear in the shallow, warm waters of La Jolla Cove. If you’re interested in a shorter, snorkel-only tour and a close-up underwater encounter, check out our Leopard Shark tour.
Good To Know
FAQS
Snorkeling is best when the water is calm and the sun is out. There are also usually fewer people in the early morning, making it a great time to go.
Common marine life sightings include fish, leopard shark, and the occasional dolphin. The Garabaldi can be found just outside the sea caves and there are usually sea lions perched up on the rock nearby.
Don’t let the ‘shark’ in Leopard Shark deter you from interacting with these harmless, gentle giants! Our kayak and snorkel tour offers a chance to see these beautiful creatures up close and in their natural environment, or join us for a snorkel on our Leopard shark encounter.
Yes, lockers are available to rent to store your belongings during the tour. We also have floating dry bags available for purchase to protect your phone or other items.
The best time to see Leopard Sharks is from June through August, when they’re most active and visible in larger numbers. These gentle, harmless creatures begin to arrive in May to spawn, but they’re smaller and harder to spot early in the season. For the best chance of seeing them, head out early in the morning when the water is calm and clear. You’ll often find them swimming gracefully through the shallow waters near the Marine Room.
The sharks are in La Jolla year-round; however, as they get larger, they stay farther out in the ocean, which makes viewing them more difficult. June, July and August are the best time of year to see the sharks when they are younger and smaller.
We recommend wearing a bathing suit, or renting a wetsuit during the colder months. Be sure to bring a towel, a change of clothes, and apply sunscreen before heading out on the water.
In the case of inclement weather, we may have to halt operations. If the City Lifeguards issue a hazard alert 1, 2 or 3 we may have to alter our tour route, stop rentals for the day or cancel operations for the entire day.
Snorkeling in the La Jolla cove is one of the best locations in all of California.
Have more questions? Check out our FAQ page!
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