Author: Kassidy Wilkins
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Book Review: Abalone by Ann Vileisis
Today, we’re reviewing Anne Vileisis’ book Abalone: The Remarkable History and Uncertain Future of California’s Iconic Shellfish, published by Oregon State University Press in 2020. If you haven’t seen an abalone yet in your tide pooling adventures…well, that’s what this book is all about. These large mollusks, once enjoyed by many Californians as abalone steaks,…
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5 Tips For Finding Nudibranchs At The Tide Pools
For many avid tide poolers, nudibranchs are one of the coolest animals to find at the tide pools. These sea slugs are often brightly colored, possess cool abilities, and move slowly enough that you can get good pictures! Unfortunately, finding these creatures can be difficult. Nudibranchs in the tide pools are typically very small, ranging…
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Tide Pooling Log: Moss beach
Recently, I was privileged to get to travel up north a little ways and do some tide pooling on the Central Coast. We spent two days in the Half Moon Bay area, and I got to tide pool at Moss Beach twice. I’ve combined my finds into this one post, but don’t forget that it…
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The Red Rock Flipper
Across most of the world’s coasts in the winter, you might spot plump little birds with a dove-like appearance but boasting longer legs and quicker steps. Nimble and gregarious, these birds are called ruddy turnstones and are some of the most fun birds to encounter in the intertidal. The first word of their name reflects…
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Is Tide Pooling Better than Snorkeling?
Short Answer: It depends on what you want out of your experience and what you’re comfortable with. If you’re more comfortable on the rocks than you are swimming and enjoy going on a “treasure hunt” for small animals, tide pooling is the way to go. But if you want to see large animals like fish…
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Book Review: Waves and Beaches by Willard Bascom and Kim McCoy
Waves and Beaches by Willard Bascom and and updated Kim McCoy is an excellent resource on the physics and science of these coastal (and not so coastal) phenomena. While the book is definitely sodden with scientific terms, it is the ultimate resource for those wanting to learn more than waves and beaches and how to…
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Tips for Birding on the Coast
Most tidepoolers are focused on finding invertebrates, but they are far from the only animals that call the intertidal home. Birds and fish are often overlooked in the search for sea slugs and crustaceans, but they are absolutely worth paying attention to, as they are a vital part of the intertidal ecosystem. On the other…
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Too Small To See
Most animals that live in the intertidal are small on most scales. Certainly on the human scale, you won’t often find anything that isn’t several dozen times smaller than you. I rather like this aspect of the tide pools, but even I must admit that some animals are simply too small. I don’t mean the…
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One Tide Pool
Like any other “seek and find” hobby (bird watching, fossil hunting, coin collecting, etc), tide pooling often feels like you hit the jackpot or you’re wasting your time. While it might seem like I only ever hit jackpots, remember I chose what I share on this blog. I just don’t write often about times I…
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Can you Go Tide Pooling In Hawaii?
The short answer is yes! Absolutely you can go tide pooling in Hawaii and other tropical islands. The long answer is that it might look a little different if you are used to tide pooling in temperate regions like Europe or the West Coast of the U.S. Let’s break down some of these differences so…
About the blog
The Tidepooler is a blog focused on education and information about the tide pools and rocky shore environments along the coasts of the world’s oceans. With more understanding and enthusiasm, these important ecosystems can be sustainably explored for science, curiosity, and appreciation of their beauty.
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The Tide Is Out 