About
Started in 2016, the goal with this website is to promote Orange Countians and visitors of this beautiful land to get out and enjoy the outdoors while also using education to help appreciate the array of wildlife we are so fortunate to have here. Every photo and video you see on this website was shot by myself, Mark Girardeau who owns all copyrights except for the sea otter photo and the photo of Calico Ghost Town. In recent years, my website which I created has gained much attention, so much that several other websites are starting to call themselves "Orange County Outdoors," in an effort to gain attention, thank you for sticking to the original.
"I love spending as much time outside as possible, I am very familiar with much of California and try to explore as much of it as possible especially Orange County where I reside which is why I got the idea to create this website which first started off with just an Instagram account because I love sharing my photos and videos while helping educate others about our natural history and why it is important to take care of it. I don't disclose locations of certain animal species due to their safety and certain bird species especially nesting sites. Upon providing information about some of these awesome places, I ask that you please respect them, pick up trash, obey posted signs, and try to have as little impact as possible.
This website is inspired by my Father Greg who passed away from brain cancer in 2014, he introduced me to so many awesome things outdoors and how to respect others, after taking care of him for three years, I made it my mission to live how he wanted me to.
Please feel free to contact me with any suggestions or media inquiries at "mark@orangecountyoutdoors.com"

Photos of my adventures just since 2014


















Why create Orange County Outdoors?
I wanted to create a place where people can learn about Orange County's outdoors with its wildlife, events, beaches, parks, and other outdoor features all in one place. I'm not affiliated with any organization like the county or state parks, therefore I can provide information about ALL of Orange County and not limit the info to a specific area within the county. Also I LOVE sharing my photos and videos with the people and doing my part to educate others about taking care of what we are so fortunate to have here. This is not a profit monetarily for me but a profit of feeling accomplished about helping others.
Organizations I support
The following organizations are who I choose to support monetarily due to great intentions and well deserving of all the support they can get:
Happy Whale - Citizen science which researches and monitors whale movements. This website has changed the way we understand whales with its citizen science that allows everyone to help, the founder is passionate about the environment and welcomes funding to help support the costs associated with this site.
Pacific Marine Mammal Center - Non-profit that rescues and rehabilitates primarily seals and sea lions that need help, also they rescue other animals like sea turtles and dolphins and they help disentangle whales caught in ropes/nets. They rely solely on donations
eBird - Website that most birders use to record and document all bird species which enables the ability to track migration patterns and changes in climate.
Bird Banding Lab - Report birds with tags/bands to monitor individual movements and lifespans
Please enjoy some of my work that has been featured by the media just since 2015
National Geographic:
Huffington Post:
Orange County Register:
Russian whale shows up off So Cal
Man killed in boating accident
Weather moves into Orange County
Gray whale rolls around at the beach
Mom And Baby Gray Whales Visit Boat
Entangled Whale Disentangles Itself
Christianitos Fire in San Clemente
Small brush fire breaks out near 241 toll road
CNN:
ABC Los Angeles:
Rare Baird's beaked whales sighting
Mountain lion causes concern to residents
Mom And Baby Gray Whales Visit Boat
Instagram: Mom And Baby Gray Whales
USA Today:
IFL Science:
ABC Chicago:
Mom And Baby Gray Whales Visit Boat
ABC Houston:
Magical Rainbow Whale Turns Up Dead
Laguna Beach Independent:
NBC Los Angeles:
Mom And Baby Gray Whales Visit Boat
Instagram: Mom And Baby Gray Whales
Tuna Crabs Wash Up On OC Beaches
CBS:
CBS Los Angeles:
Scarlet the whale shows up dead
The Weather Channel:
Grind TV:
Breaching Whale Reveals Entangled Ropes
Mom And Baby Gray Whales Visit Boat
Massive Pod Of Killer Whales Off Orange County
KTLA Los Angeles:
The Dodo:
Fox News:
Ric O' Barry's Dolphin Project:
Los Angeles Times:
Scarlet the whale shows up dead
The Patch:
New York Daily News:
Univision:
Fox San Diego:
LAist:
Accuweather:
Gray Whales Visit Paddle Boarders
Daily Breeze:
The Telegraph - UK:
MSN:
Massive Pod Of Killer Whales Off Orange County
Yahoo:
Seattle Pi:
Awesome Ocean:
Massive Pod Of Killer Whales Off Orange County
Daily Mail - UK:
Univision:
ABC New York:
Cow/calf gray whales visit boat
Magic Seaweed:
Great white sharks appear off OC Coast
ABC Houston:
Press Telegram:
BNQT:
Moscow Times: