Welcome To Santa Monica!

This iconic sign welcomes you to the Santa Monica Pier, a lively spot at the end of California’s Route 66, with the beautiful Pacific Ocean ahead – and sharks down below!

Well, Hello There Mr. Shark!

Yes, when we went to the pier yesterday, we watched all of the people frolicking in the water below us – and saw this baby Leopard Shark swimming among them!

Here’s a video I got of them in the water:

Of course, there are constant waves that crash ashore, pulling silky sand off the bottom and making it tough to see them at times, but I got a few shots of them:

Now, watch this entire video and you will see a few of the Baby Leopard Sharks in the water, some crashing waves, and then a young woman in the water nearby!

Well, that was quite the unexpected encounter with nature!

As you can see, it was a gorgeous summer day, with the Santa Monica beach packed with people…

There are lifeguards on duty, and a friend told me that when she swims regularly in the ocean nearby, these baby Leopard Sharks will sometimes graze her as they swim by – they are usually harmless but can bite as well.

I did some more research and discovered the baby sharks like to swim close to shore to eat small shrimp and crab in the water, and don’t find larger things – like people – appetizing. They also stay close to shore to avoid their own deadly encounters with larger sharks!

Here’s a different take showing the shoreline and the number of people in the ocean this day:

My wife Alex and our friend Audrey spotted them originally, and we watched for awhile before heading home…oh, and did you know that the Santa Monica Pier is the official end of the iconic “Route 66?”

Here is more about this iconic highway that goes from Chicago Illinois to the end of the Santa Monica Pier!

And since the Pier has a roller coaster and restaurants, I had to try the last burger in America!

The Pier Burger sits right above the coastline, so you won’t find another burger until you hit Hawaii!

Of course I ate it and here’s my review:

It you go about 400 miles up the coast, you are not only still in California, but you are standing at the edge of the world!

This spectacular beach is the furthest west you can stand before the Pacific Ocean takes over for a few thousand miles…you can see more with cool videos here:

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Let me know if you’ve had a shark encounter, and if you like this story please share on social media – thanks!

Categories: Exotic Travel, Los Angeles, Memoirs, nature, Travel, Travel Adventures, Travel Memoir

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