Breakwater parking lot almost totally full top to bottom when I arrived around 10:30.
Finally did metridium fields today, can't believe it has taken me this long to check them out. Found them just fine and it was very enjoyable. Vis was 20-25, sunny and warm topside with almost no wind. occasional sets of 3-4ft surf rolling in but otherwise calm, walk in/out entry as long as you do so between sets.
Variety of jellies including many of what I believe are called sea butterflies. At the metridiums there was a good number of nettles cruising mid-water. Observed some octopus in the sand around the metridiums as well. these were a bit larger than those I typically see in the sand right of the breakwater. From the metridiums I took a course back towards the entry next to the wall rather than follow the pipe back the way I came. On the reef mid-way in about 30fsw I came across an almost totally decomposed corpse of what was most likely a sea lion. Basiclly a 2' x 3' mound of tissue/blubber largely covered by bat stars and a number of bones in and adjacent to it. Looked like rib bones from what I could tell. Fascinating and a bit creepy.
After the dive eating a very late lunch on the bluff above the beach saw a whale spouting not far away, roughly just beyond where I believe "the barge" dive site would be. I was very surprised to see it so close to boat traffic. Looked to be a small whale and saw it spout several times and it clearly did not have much of a dorsal fin so I think that would make it a gray whale most likely.
Anyway, great day and great dive. I took some video and will get around to editing and posting later.