GOSD Day Event - Snorkeling at La Jolla Shores
Event Coordinators: Matthew Schreiner, Jeffrey Lehmann
Come join us for some snorkeling, sharks, and socializing at La Jolla Shores! We've chosen August since that's when the Leopard Sharks typically come close to shore.
We'll meet at Kellogg Park at 10:00 and be in the water by about 10:30. After snorkeling amongst the wildlife, those of us who are interested will grab lunch nearby afterwards.
Please bring your snorkel gear (mask, snorkel, fins and a light wet suit if you tend to feel cold quickly), sunblock, some water, any snacks you may need for the morning, a towel, and a dry change of clothes. (Leave your valuables in your car, as any gear left at the park will likely be unattended while we’re in the water.)
Parking can be a challenge. So please plan to allow yourself plenty of time for that – and carpool if possible.
Fun facts about Leopard Sharks:
La Jolla’s leopard sharks are almost all female, most of which are pregnant. Their gestation period is 10-11 months. They bear live young, and a litter will typically consist of 15-20 babies.
They congregate at La Jolla Shores because of its calm, warm, shallow waters—an ideal natural incubator—and abundant food in the sand, rocky reefs and kelp forest of the protected preserve, including clams, crabs, shrimp, squid, fish and fish eggs. The sharks’ distinctive color pattern, resembling leopard spots, is so varied that they can be used to identify individuals, akin to fingerprints. Leopard sharks live along the Pacific coast of North America from Washington to Mazatlán, Mexico, including the Gulf of California.
They arrive at La Jolla’s shores as early as June and as late as December, peaking in August and September.
Leopard sharks have small mouths and teeth, perfect for feedings on crustaceans and bony fish. Adults can grow up to six feet in length, but the average size is four to five feet.
VPO-SD@GreatOutdoors.org
