California

Hundreds of sea lions have inundated a beach in central California.

See Hundreds of Sea Lions Take Over a Popular California Beach

The pinnipeds are resting on San Carlos Beach as part of their annual northward journey from the Channel Islands, prompting officials to close it down

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass waves an Olympic flag on her return from the closing ceremony of the Paris games on August 12, 2024.

Can a City Known for Its Freeways and Gridlock Deliver a Car-Free Olympics? Los Angeles Thinks So

To make good on its promise, the 2028 host city is in a four-year sprint to ready its public transportation for the onslaught of athletes, coaches and spectators

Kayakers, researchers, lifeguards and paddleboarders managed to get the huge fish to shore.

Rare 'Doomsday' Oarfish Surfaces in California, Just the 20th Discovered in the State Since 1901

Kayakers spotted and hauled ashore the 12-foot-long oarfish, a deep-sea species known for its connection to earthquakes in Japanese folklore

A sunburst anemone (Anthopleura sola) fluoresces under ultraviolet light. Anemones eat prey that gets trapped in their sticky oral disk.

These Mesmerizing Anemones Have a Glowing Layer of Protection

Marine biologists discovered that a protein that boosts fluorescent output also enables an antioxidant property

Peregrine falcons can reach speeds of up to 200 miles per hour when they drop from great heights to catch prey.

Yosemite's Peregrine Falcons Are Rebounding Thanks to Unlikely Allies: Rock Climbers

After pesticides decimated the birds' numbers, climbers helped the species regain a foothold in the park

A California condor chick rests in a clear container lined with paper at the L.A. Zoo.

A Record-Breaking 17 California Condor Chicks Hatched at the L.A. Zoo This Year

The successful breeding season offers more hope for the endangered species, which has come back from the brink of extinction due to captive breeding efforts

A little over a century ago, a limestone cave system north of Kuala Lumpur was reborn as a holy Hindu shrine, called Batu Caves.

From Cisterns to Temples, These Twelve Underground Worlds Are Open for Exploring

Some of these age-old subterranean spaces have even been transformed into amusement parks, art galleries and restaurants

The explosion at Port Chicago on July 17, 1944, killed 320 people and injured 400 more.

Black Sailors Exonerated 80 Years After Deadly World War II Disaster

The Navy secretary officially cleared the 256 Black service members who were punished in connection with the explosion in Port Chicago, California

Firefighters work to contain the Lake Fire burning in Los Padres National Forest in California. More than 3,900 fires have spread across California this year.

California Faces a Brutal Wildfire Season, With More Land Burned to Date Than in Recent Years

The state's fires have burned more than 11 times as much land so far in 2024 than they had at this point last year, according to the most recent numbers from Cal Fire

Edythe Eyde started writing under the pen name Lisa Ben after an editor rejected her first choice, Ima Spinster.

Who Was 'Lisa Ben,' the Woman Behind the U.S.'s First Lesbian Magazine?

Edythe Eyde published nine issues of "Vice Versa" between June 1947 and February 1948. She later adopted a pen name that doubled as an anagram for "lesbian"

A fake foot helps researchers at California State University, Long Beach, determine how stingrays react when they come in contact with people.

When Do Stingrays Strike?

A California researcher and his team simulate stepping on round rays to learn more about their behavior

A lesson plan from the National Museum of the American Indian seeks to include missing narratives about the California Gold Rush.

There’s a Better Way to Teach the California Gold Rush

A new lesson plan centers Native American perspectives on the violence of Western expansion

Children play in a spray pool in Rio de Los Angeles State Park in Los Angeles, California, on Thursday, June 6. A heat wave led to record-setting temperatures across the western U.S. last week.

The Western U.S. Is Sweltering Under a 'Heat Dome.' What Does That Mean?

A stagnant high-pressure system over the region is trapping heat, exacerbating high temperatures and setting records

A tuna crab on the sand in San Diego in 2002, a year when large numbers of the creatures washed up on shore.

Why Are Tuna Crabs Swarming Off the Coast of San Diego?

Scientists are perplexed by the massive group of crustaceans, but they suspect the animals were pushed north by strong ocean currents originating near Mexico

About 75 percent of Americans are expected to travel by car this summer. Taking the scenic route along such roadways as Highway 101, seen above in Del Mar, California, can make the trip even more worthwhile.

Seven of the Most Beautiful Roads in the United States

From Alaska to Florida, these serene and exhilarating stretches beg you to take the scenic route

Teal Helms (right) and volunteer Gali Begim (left) perform intake assesments on a brown pelican at the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center in Huntington Beach, California.

Hundreds of Starving Brown Pelicans Are Turning Up on California Beaches, Puzzling Wildlife Rescuers and Scientists

By all available accounts, there isn’t a lack of ocean forage

More than 1,000 sea lions gathered at San Francisco's Pier 39 last week, marking the largest congregation of the marine mammals at the city's Fisherman's Wharf in about 15 years.

More Than 1,000 Sea Lions Gather at San Francisco's Pier 39, the Largest Group in 15 Years

The pinnipeds came to the area to feed on anchovies and herring as they prepare for breeding season

The fire destroyed one of the historic "20-mule team" wagons from the late 19th century. A steam tractor named "Old Dinah" survived.

Historic Borax Wagon Destroyed in Blaze at Death Valley National Park

Beginning in 1883, 18 mules and two horses hauled wagons full of borax across eastern California

This rendering shows what the wildlife crossing will look like when completed.

The 'World's Largest Wildlife Crossing' Will Help Animals Walk Safely Over Eight Lanes of California Traffic

The 210-foot-long bridge across a busy freeway in Los Angeles County is expected to be finished in 2025

A hawksbill sea turtle munches away on a sponge near Juno Beach.

Journey Under the Sea With 15 Amazing Photos of Marine Life

These Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest images feature the captivating creatures that live beneath the waves

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