A surfing California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) rides a clear blue Zuma Beach wave. Ahead of the sea lion some fish are seen in the wave and jumping out as they sense the on-coming predator.

Zalophuscalifornianusfishsurfingwave2013014Zuma013

A surfing California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) rides a clear blue Zuma Beach wave.

Zalophuscalifornianussurfingwave2013014Zuma011

A surfing California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) rides a clear blue Zuma Beach wave.

Zalophuscalifornianussurfingwave2013014Zuma012

A surfing California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) rides a clear blue Zuma Beach wave.

Zalophuscalifornianussurfingwave2013014Zuma013

A surfing California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) takes off for a ride on a clear blue Zuma Beach wave.

Zalophuscalifornianussurfingwave2013014Zuma001

A surfing California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) takes off for a ride on a clear blue Zuma Beach wave.

Zalophuscalifornianussurfingwave2013014Zuma003

A surfing California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) takes off for a ride on a clear blue Zuma Beach wave.

Zalophuscalifornianussurfingwave2013014Zuma005

A swarm of sanderlings (Calidris alba) were seen flying up and down Zuma Beach. On the beach, huge swaths of sand were found ploughed up by these voracious predators as they dug up tiny juvenile sand crabs (Emerita analoga).

Calidrisalbaswarm2013014Zuma017

Student researchers observe a flock of sanderlings (Calidris alba).

Calidrisalbaswarm2013014Zuma009

Student researchers observe a flock of sanderlings (Calidris alba).

Calidrisalbaswarm2013014Zuma006

Student researchers observe a flock of sanderlings (Calidris alba).

Calidrisalbaswarm2013014Zuma030

A zoea of a true (Brachyuran) crab. Several were found in the plankton sample this week.

brachyuranzoea2013014Zuma094

A cluster of individual comb jellies or "sea gooseberries," Pleurobrachia bachei taken from the plankton net and found washed up along the edge of the water. These gelatinous animals are members of a group known as Ctenophores (meaning "to bear combs") and are distinguished from other jellies by their 8 rows or bands of ciliary plates (called combs by early observers). These animals cannot sting, have no stinging cells, and feed using two long sticky tentacles that grab other planktonic animals.

Pleurobrachiabacheiigroup2013014Zuma006

A close up view of the ciliary bands or "combs" of the comb jelly or "sea gooseberry," Pleurobrachia bachei.

ciliarybandsPleurobrachiabacheii2013014Zuma309

Oxycephalus sp., a hyuperiid amphipod that lives symbiotically on gelatinous zooplankton.

clearshrimplikecrustacean2013014Zuma001

Oxycephalus sp., a hyuperiid amphipod that lives symbiotically on gelatinous zooplankton.

clearshrimplikecrustacean2013014Zuma

Oxycephalus sp., a hyuperiid amphipod that lives symbiotically on gelatinous zooplankton.

clearshrimplikecrustacean2013014Zuma037

Doryteuthis opalescens squid paralarva 2013 02-014 Zuma-179

Doryteuthisopalescenssquidparalarva2013014Zuma179

Doryteuthis opalescens squid paralarva 2013 02-014 Zuma-194

Doryteuthisopalescenssquidparalarva2013014Zuma194

Doryteuthis opalescens squid paralarva 2013 02-014 Zuma-226

Doryteuthisopalescenssquidparalarva2013014Zuma226

A calycaphoran siphonophore, probably Diphyes dispar.

jellyplankton2013014Zuma001

A calycaphoran siphonophore, probably Diphyes dispar.

jellyplankton2013014Zuma085

gelatinous animals in clear bag 2013 02-014 Zuma-a-089

gelatinousanimalsclearbag2013014Zuma089

A calycaphoran siphonophore, probably Diphyes dispar.

gelatinouszooplanktonplankton2013014Zuma278

Close up of a calycaphoran siphonophore, probably Diphyes dispar.

gelatinouszooplanktonplankton2013014Zuma284

Close up of a calycaphoran siphonophore, probably Diphyes dispar.

gelatinouszooplanktonplankton2013014Zuma293

Pelecanus occidentalis in flight 2013 02-014 Zuma-003

Pelecanusoccidentalisflight2013014Zuma003

Larus heermanni on sand 2013 02-014 Zuma-003

Larusheermannisand2013014Zuma003

Phalocrocorax penicillatus walking on beach 2013 02-014 Zuma-025

Phalocrocoraxpenicillatuswalkingbeach2013014Zuma025