California Coastal Webcams

There's nothing like visiting the coast in person—salt spray on your face, the sound of the wind and crashing waves in your ears, the warm sand between your toes. But if you're inland for the time-being and want to take a virtual trip, here are some live webcams that can transport you (at least within your mind) to our beautiful coast.

Coastal webcams are a great jumping off point for a class getting ready to study a coastal habitat, for students preparing to create artwork or poetry for our Coastal Art & Poetry Contest, or just for when anyone needs a break from the here and now. Students, consider these activities:

  • Pick one webcam that you are interested in. Visit the video in the morning, afternoon, and/or mid-evening for a week, making sure to observe animals, weather, and tides (if applicable). Take notes, draw a picture, and/or take a screenshot each time you visit the webcam. Compare your observations. Do you notice any differences?
  • Repeat the above for different webcams and/or during different seasons.

Webcams may be periodically down, or their subjects may only be active during certain times of the day or year. Check back later if you don't see what you're looking for. These webcams are managed by various organizations (shown in parentheses below), some public, some private. The California Coastal Commission does not necessarily endorse or monitor the content of these websites, which may contain advertisements.

Elephant Seals at Piedras Blancas, by Jeffrey Caren

Animals and habitats:

Land/surfscapes (wide views):

Point Reyes National Seashore, by Gary Hromada

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