Julia Pfeiffer State Beach, 2009.

Beach, Monterey Bay, 2009.

Beach At Dusk, Carmel, 2008.

snapshot • Hopkins Beach with Harbor Seals

Rock with Barnacles, 2009.

Beach With Small Wave, Sunset, 2009.

Arc of Tangled Kelp, Asilomar, 2009.

Round Rock, Asilomar, 2009.

Kelp Tangle, Sand Dollar Beach, Big Sur, 2009.

Sand Dollar Beach, Big Sur, 2009.

Entry to Sand Dollar Beach, Big Sur, 2009.

Entrance to Sand Dollar Beach

Shell Fragments & Sand Grains, Pacific Grove, 2009.

In addition to various varieties of kelp, the beaches around PG are littered with shells. They are generally pretty small, and most of them are Black Turban snails. Like many things, they don't look like much until you get down really close. These castoff shells have a beautiful iridescent lustre. Note how square the sand grains are; they are mostly granite. There aren't a lot of white sandy beaches in this area, although Carmel has a gorgeous white beach (I think residents ground up their old diamond jewelry). 

Bull Kelp & Rocks, Asilomar, 2009.

Strands of bull kelp can be seen strewn around the beaches, especially after a storm; some of them are 15 feet long. There is a bulbous head at the upper end where the fronds attach toward the ocean surface, and they taper down to a thin strand at the holdfast end. They are rubbery in feel, and hollow. Often they litter the beach in graceful swirls.