Immediately upon entering the cold, murky water my body goes into shock. I see a dark elongated body flash by underneath me. And then another. I am surrounded by leopard sharks. I swim to where there is more visibility and I get a good look at their pointed faces and dark color patterns. Some are accompanied by remora, fish attaching themselves to their bodies to get a nibble at the crustaceans and other food they dig up in the sand.

I see over a dozen shark pups, but I also see smaller ones too. Maybe they are just younger pups, or different sharks altogether. A skate flashes by, puzzling me with its unique appearance until I realize what it is. Eagle rays fly by in the dozens, as plentiful as the sharks.

The sea lions are so cute playing in the waves along the beach. Young pups bother their seniors, nibbling on tails and coughing up a storm. A large bull male lies on the beach until a raucous eruption of vocalizations at the other end causes him to go in the water. A female suns herself on a rock in the middle of the beach completely asleep. Or so it seems, until some tourists get too close, and she lunges to bite.

Tide pooling is slippery and difficult amongst the algae covered rocks. Green anemones, crabs, hermits, snails and limpets, and barnacles compete for precious real estate in the harsh littoral zone. A guppy flashes by, but I don’t see much other movement.

It is interesting to see life along the coast as the hurricane approaches. Some birds sheek shelter but most still fly around nonchalantly. The sea lions play as usual, and to answer my question of what they do as seas surge, I spy a seal on a rock get buffeted by waves. But it remains like a statue, unperturbed.

It is neat to see ephemeral waterfalls emerge and spill over the cliff side onto the beach. I pass pelicans and oystercatchers and plovers resting beneath me before sheltering the rest of the day from the storm.

The San Diego zoo is amazing. Fortunately the animals aren’t harmed by the storm. It is good to see koalas and Tasmanian devils and all my Australian and lemur friends again. I even see lots of new animals I have never seen before! The bird aviaries are very immersive, and I am very impressed by the quality of the zoo.

We have dinner in San Diego old town, which is essential a Spanish mission. The historic buildings have been well preserved and restored, and the area has a festive atmosphere with local dancers singing and performing. The dinner in the restaurant at the center of the marketplace is divine; I try the best steak of my life cooked in a molcajete, or the traditional mexican volcanic mortar and pestle dish. We check out the surrounding market in what feels like an immersive experience in Mexico (San Diego was historically Mexico, after all.)