Tag: Exploring Southern California
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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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Two New Species of Nudibranch Described from California
Unlike my last new species post (April Fools, if you didn’t notice the date ;), these two new species are real, and they live right off the coast where many of us tide pool: Doto urak and Doto kwakwak. Neither of these species in the Doto family are very common and only have a few…
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Can I Wear Rain Boots At the Tide Pools?
Short Answer: Rain boots do ok in the intertidal, but there might be better options you already have in your closet. Long Answer: Read on! Shoes are really important for tide pooling, both to prevent injuries to your feet and to prevent slipping. For more information about shoes in general, read this article. A common…
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Are Tide Pools Dangerous?
It’s natural to wonder about safety before visiting the tide pools. The ocean is a dangerous place, and the shore can be unfriendly to those who aren’t prepared. However, you’ll be glad to know that most people can safely explore the intertidal zone in most places along the coast. But that doesn’t mean there is…
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Camoflauge with Bright Colors: The Red-banded transparent Shrimp
California tide pooling comes with the big and famous animals that all beachgoers want to see: anemones, sea stars, urchins, and crabs. But many other very common animals don’t get noticed, despite being all around. The red-banded transparent shrimp (Heptacarpus sitchensis) is one of them. Look closely and you’ll begin to notice these tiny, often…
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Book Review: Between Pacific Tides (Fifth Edition) by Ricketts, Calvin, Hedgpeth. Revisted by Phillips
One of the first definitive guides to the intertidal and its life on the West Coast of the U.S. is Between Pacific Tides, a reference book originally penned by Ed Ricketts, a good friend of the author John Steinbeck. Now in its fifth edition, the book has since been updated and edited by several others…
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Tide Pooling Log: Birthday Nature Walk along the Beach
On the morning of my birthday late this summer, I wanted to go to the beach– of course! The tide was somewhere between 1 and 2 feet, so I didn’t expect to do much tide pooling, if any of the rocks would evening be exposed at this location in SoCal. Despite this, I thought we…
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Book Review: “The New Beachcomber’s Guide to Seashore Life of California: Completely Revised and Expanded” By J. Duane Sept
Author note: Book reviews on this site are designed to give the reader a general idea of a book, its perceived purpose, and its success in accomplishing those purposes. The New Beachcomber’s Guide to Seashore Life of California: Completely Revised and Expanded by J. Duane Sept is a field guide published in 2023 by Harbour…
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Tide Pooling Log: Nudibranchs and Tunicates at Dawn
The lowest low tides come in cycles as many days in a row boast negative tides impacted by the moon’s orbit. If you’re familiar with the way the moon impacts the tides, this makes sense. For tidepoolers, these cycles encourage us to be on the coast every day, sometimes for almost a week straight. This…
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Tide Pooling Log: Kayaking Southern California’s Mudflats
Not all intertidal landscapes are as beautiful to explore as rocky shores. Some require a little more extra —- and a willingness to get dirty. After several days of visiting rocky and sandy shores, I decided to take advantage of the low morning tides by exploring a muddy shore in an estuarine environment. Because the…
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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 