I agree, I love watching these critters too! The bridge (which goes over to a barrier island/sand bar named Vilano Beach) is a great vantage point, and I’ve seen all sorts of things swimming along under there.
I spend a lot of time on the boat so get to watch a lot. I love the birds too. One night I was sitting there watching tv and I kept hearing a repeated BANG! off the transom. When I got up and opened the companionway to see what it was I saw George, a heron I had named cause he had been hanging out on my dock. He was fishing off my swimstep.
My neighbor has lights under his trawler and at certain times of the year when the sea lions are everywhere he’ll turn them on to draw in the bait fish. Soon we’ll have 40 or so sea lions all writhing and jumping next to our boats.
We’ve also had a pod of dolphins fishing in the harbor. You can hear them coming like a freight train if you are below deck.
I love it!!