Colin Schildhauer cutting glass on a beautiful morning at Steamer Lane. T.Fox - Photo www.santacruzwaves.com

A surfer carves out a massive cutback on a wave he rides next to the Santa Cruz Small Craft Harbor jetty on Thursday. (Dan Coyro/Sentinel)

A surfer kicks out off the back of a crashing overhead wave at Natural Bridges Thursday. (Dan Coyro/Sentinel)

A surfer ducks under the falling lip of an overhead wave off Natural Bridges Thursday morning. (Dan Coyro/Sentinel)

A surfer looks for his exit as this middle peak wave face crashes in front of him. Dan Coyro/Sentinel

After running out of wave face going left on this middle peak bomb, Tuesday, a surfer dives off the back of the crashing wave. Dan Coyro/Sentinel

Tuesday's large swell out of the West claimed another surfboard at Steamer Lane.

A surfer has a close encounter with a trio of dolphins at Manresa Beach on Monday morning. With the hoopla surrounding the recent local stay of a pod of Humpback Whales it is easy to forget that the Santa Cruz County coastline of the Monterey Bay is filled with a number of other small, yet no less majestic marine mammals. (Shmuel Thaler/Sentinel)

A small, but clean swell allows a family at Manresa State beach front row seats to watch surfers try their luck at the break in La Selva Beach on Monday. (Shmuel Thaler/Sentinel)

A surfer paddles out to the small, yet consistent and clean swell coming in to Manresa State Beach on Monday morning. (Shmuel Thaler/Sentinel)

A pair of sea otters enjoys a morning repast off of West Cliff including a sampling of the local shellfish. Shmuel Thaler/Sentinel

Jimmy Herrick surfs in the finals of the locals trials at the O'Neill Coldwater Classic at Steamer Lane on Wednesday. Locals Randy Bonds and Matt Myers advanced from the trials to gain spots in the main event. Shmuel Thaler/Sentinel

This photo was just submitted to our Pets on Parade photo contest, had to share it on the Photo Blog.

Stinky the whale surfaces on Aug. 19, 2011. The photos were taken by Captain Michael Sack, Sanctuary Cruises Whale Watching, about two miles off of West Cliff Drive / Steamer Lane.

Stinky surfaces.

Stinky waves to his fans.

While we were visiting New Brighton beach on Saturday we got to see the amazing sight of thousands of pelicans and other birds swarming right at the shore line. They were enjoying the massive amount of sardines that were apparently in the water. The sardines were actually washing up on the shore in spots. Max, in the photo, was at the beach celebrating his birthday with family and friends so he had a nice birthday surprise. Photographer: Jennifer Silver-Herman

Finland's Seppo Paju, 16, is lifted by the crowd after throwing a hole-in-one on his second shot to grab the $500 prize in the World Disc Golf Championship distance exhibition at the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf on Thursday. Shmuel Thaler/Sentinel