Place: Memories of Corona del Mar Beach............

Snapshots from the scenic Corona del Mar Beach..........
The Beach bordered by hundreds of lanky palms..........

The rock jetty........

I am always fascinated with the ornate and unique decor of Oceanfront houses....for coercing tourists....the shingled or terracotta roofs, picture windows, spacious balustraded terraces, flowering plant-graced patios, ivy-draped walls, window boxes bursting with colorful petunias, cupolas, custom-designed weather vanes, maritime themed-topiaries etc. etc...sneak peek of the houses in Corona del Mar......facing the scenic Pacific......

I was awestruck, ever since laying eyes on these rocky outcrops along the shore.... severely weathered, porous boulders with amazing patterns left me curious for the identity of the rock type. Banking on several related readings, I guess it to be granitic gneiss, a metamorphosed igneous rock. Relentless waves and salt spray are the chisels for the spectacular sculpture...

People throng this place for bouldering (climbing) the rocks. I saw a few of them attempting  to climb up the rocks with their crash pad and chalk bag handy for their safety. Some of them were relaxing inside the shady nooks of the caves after tiresome climbing. 

I was left surprised with the types of sport activities people can indulge in..

Revelers out on a whale watching trip....

A tiny watercraft gliding on the Ocean.......

Kelp, starfish, pelican, cormorant sharing the niche.....

As many as 25-30 pelicans were resting on the boulders of the rock jetty.... I was thrilled to see the flock barely meters away from me. As I proceeded towards them, some flied away in anticipation of harm. However, the sanguine lot held their ground, much to my relief and joy. I sat on a bird poop-stained rock to watch their plumage and beak, which I found most unusual. Do you notice the ring on the bird's right foot? It is evidence that this pelican has been banded, for tracking its geographical range, migration and conservation.

Brown pelican ........

Massive beak..........

Grumpy face.............

Swimming on the Pacific..........

A cormorant perched on the jetty rock ...I was delighted beyond measure to spot this seabird. Since the day I saw this bird in a documentary, assisting the Chinese fishermen in catching fish, at the cost of diving into the waters times and again with their throat stringed, I was very eager to see cormorant in real.  Yesterday, as I was walking on the jetty, my gaze fell on this comparatively small and dark bird perched among the pelicans on the rock piles. Like every maiden experience, it was exciting to watch this expert fisher bird from so close quarters..

A macro shot of the star fish..