La Jolla Cove Beach offers many fun activities including tide-pooling, sunbathing, wildlife watching, swimming, scuba diving, kayaking, and snorkeling. The water near this beach is clear and calmer than other La Jolla beaches, making it ideal for beginner swimmers. However, the water here is also a part of the protected San Diego - La Jolla Underwater Park, which means that activities like surfing and boogie boarding are prohibited here. We also recommend reviewing La Jolla Cove Beach’s water quality before swimming here as it can have high amounts of microbial contamination occasionally. In addition, we recommend that you consult the local lifeguards about the prevalent water conditions as the water here can also occasionally have strong rip currents. However, despite these unfavorable water conditions, scuba divers and snorkelers often enter the water near La Jolla Cove Beach as it is known to have unique biodiversity and underwater topography. You can view many kinds of fish in the water near this beach including barracuda, baitfish, opaleye, and orange garibaldi fish. In addition, you can also occasionally see sea turtles and harmless leopard sharks in the water here. You can also view many kinds of marine mammals in the water near La Jolla Cove Beach including seals, sea lions, and migrating grey whales (usually between December and April). Scuba divers often explore the thick kelp beds present near this beach. The San Diego Council of Divers also organizes a safety and education program near this beach known as The Rocks, Rips, & Reefs Program which seeks to sensitize divers and snorkelers about ways to safely enter and exit the water near La Jolla Cove Beach and other La Jolla beaches. You can visit the San Diego Council of Divers’ website for additional information regarding this program. In addition, there are many private companies that offer interesting scuba diving tours in the water near La Jolla Cove Beach. The water near La Jolla Cove is also used for many swimming events including the Rough Water Swim and the 10 Mile Relay swimming event. If you like kayaking, you can launch your kayak near this beach and explore interesting sea caves present near La Jolla Cove Beach. In addition, there are many private companies in San Diego that organize fun kayaking tours of these sea caves while also offering a unique insight into the local biodiversity and geology.
There is a natural rocky tunnel near this beach which leads to an oceanfront rocky area with interesting tidepools. In addition, La Jolla Cove Beach is also known to be frequented by California seals, and this beach offers a unique chance to view these amazing creatures up-close. However, we recommend being careful while observing sea lions in La Jolla Cove Beach as they can get afraid of humans very easily and attack at the slightest provocation. In addition, it is important to note that the beach can also be smelly during summers due to large amounts of sea lion excreta being present here. If you like birdwatching, you can see many kinds of birds around this beach including gulls, pelicans, and cormorants. The beach and the blufftop area above it offer amazing Instagram-worthy views of the South California shoreline, particularly when looking towards downtown La Jolla. As an interesting fact, La Jolla Cove Beach is often considered to be one of the most photographed beaches in San Diego County. It is important to note that the collection of seashells is prohibited on this beach. The Ellen Browning Scripps Park above La Jolla Cove Beach is a great spot for hiking, picnicking, and photography. The La Jolla Coast Walk Trail also passes through the blufftop area above La Jolla Cove Beach and offers a great way to explore La Jolla’s incredible shoreline.