Celebrating World Ocean Day with Wildlife Jewels
Wildlife Jewels brought the community together for a special World Ocean Day Wildlife Walk, sharing real stories of La Jolla's seabirds, marine mammals, and the importance of protecting our coastal wildlife.
Wildlife Jewels’ World Ocean Day Wildlife Walk Along the La Jolla Shoreline | June 6, 2026
Wildlife Jewels was honored to celebrate World Ocean Day by bringing the community together for a special wildlife walk along the beautiful La Jolla coastline.
Together, we explored one of Southern California’s most remarkable coastal habitats while discovering the marine mammals and seabirds that make La Jolla their home. Throughout the walk, participants learned from real wildlife stories Wildlife Jewels has observed, photographed, monitored, documented, and supported through our EYES® field monitoring program and Rescue Crew.
One of the special parts of the walk was helping participants learn what to look for in the field, including signs of injured, entangled, starving, or distressed wildlife, and how careful observation and reporting can help animals receive timely support. Along the way, we shared stories of resilience, rescue, and survival, as well as the challenges wildlife faces, including entanglements, marine debris, injuries, seabird starvation, harmful algal blooms, and human disturbance.
By connecting people with individual animals and habitats we have come to know through countless hours of routine field surveys, participants gained a deeper appreciation for La Jolla’s remarkable wildlife and the importance of protecting the places they depend on.
Thank you to everyone who joined us in celebrating World Ocean Day. We hope the walk inspired new connections with the ocean and the extraordinary wildlife that makes the La Jolla coastline so special.
Through Wildlife Jewels’ EYES® La Jolla field monitoring and the Wildlife Jewels Rescue Crew programs, our volunteers conduct regular coastal wildlife surveys, document wildlife activity and threats, support reporting and rescue coordination, and help birds and other wildlife in need receive care whenever possible.
Photographs from the event were beautifully captured by The Ocean Alchemist.
Learn about Wildlife Jewels EYES and ways you can get involved!
Learn about Wildlife Jewels Rescue Crew and ways you can help!
Observed during our EYES™ Field Day with SDSU MEBSA students: a Western Gull with a concerning beak injury—highlighting the importance of careful observation and reporting.
👀 Join EYES™ (Engage Your Eyes for Sea Life)
Become part of our coastal wildlife monitoring community—learn what to look for, how to observe responsibly, and how to report concerns to help keep birds and other coastal wildlife safe.
Learn more at about ways you can protect coastal wildlife at the Wildlife Jewels Resources Page
🛟 Join the Wildlife Jewel Rescue Crew (observation & reporting only)
Help support local wildlife rescue response by assisting with reporting, coordination, and (for trained, permitted volunteers only, transport support when a bird needs help.)
✨ Together, we can turn wildlife observation into action and help protect the magical Jewels that make our coastline so special.
EYES Community BIRD WALK, National Bird Day JANUARY 2026
Some of the magical Bird Jewels we had the delight of observing included Brandt’s cormorants with their striking turquoise eyes, the adult California brown pelican with sky-blue eyes and a vibrant red throat pouch, and the majestic Black Oystercatcher with its bold orange bill and eye-ring. We also enjoyed the intelligent, charismatic Western gull, the precious Heermann’s gulls, and the elegance of Royal and Elegant terns, crowned with their distinctive head crests.
Photo credit: © Wildlife Jewels® / Azi Sharif
We identified an injured Heermann’s gull, documented what we observed, and reported—reminding us that careful monitoring and timely reporting can help save lives. Every wildlife life is precious. 💙 We will share more about her and the other injured wildlife including 2 entangled sea lions that we spotted during our walk through the Wildlife Jewels Rescue Blog soon.
