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Posts Tagged ‘Southern California tide pools’

Picture Perfect October Day at Coronado Beach

Posted by Jody on October 23, 2015

Running is a Popular Activity on Coronado's Central Beach

Running is a Popular Activity on Coronado’s Central Beach

If you’re a beach lover visiting the San Diego area, Coronado Beach certainly needs to be on your “to-do” list! Better yet, make Coronado your destination and have San Diego be the extra thing “to-do.” Coronado Central Beach is one of the most spectacularly wide stretches of soft golden sand we’ve ever visited. It’s definitely worth the trip. And that trip gets even better if you take the 15-minute Coronado Ferry ride across the bay from San Diego’s Broadway Pier.

Coronado’s pristine Central Beach lies along Ocean Boulevard where you just might find free parking – if you don’t choose the ferry ride. You’ll have to be an early bird (or just really, really lucky) to get a nearby parking spot on the weekend. Public restrooms are available and helpful, friendly lifeguards are on duty into the evening hours.

Picture Perfect October Day

Picture Perfect October Day

Coronado's Beach Chair Program

Coronado’s Beach Chair Program

Beach accessible wheelchairs are available to the public, free of charge, at the Central Beach Lifeguard Tower.

Blue Skies and Perfect Temps

Blue Skies and Perfect Temps

Looking West from The Hotel Del

Looking West from The Hotel Del

The Sandcastle Man Was Here!

The Sandcastle Man Was Here!

The Perfect Day on Coronado's Beach

The Perfect Day on Coronado’s Beach

Coronado Beach is a great family beach. Even Fido is welcome at the far north end of the strand.

October Sky

October Sky

The Hotel del Coronado

The Hotel del Coronado

Coronado's Wide Beach

Coronado’s Glorious Wide Sand Beach

It’s no wonder Dr. Beach proclaimed Coronado Beach “America’s Best Beach” in 2012!

Beach Treasures

Beach Treasures

We joined a few folks who were busy tide pooling at the riprap in front of “The Del” during low tide. Little bitty sand dollars were the prized beach treasures on this absolutely gorgeous October day.

~~~ Have a great day at the beach! ~~~

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Posted in Sand and Shoreline, Southern California Beaches, Tide Pools | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 5 Comments »

Picture Perfect La Jolla Cove and Beach, Southern California

Posted by Jody on July 9, 2012

La Jolla Cove is one of the most spectacular, photogenic locations on the San Diego Coast!  Good shots of the cove can come from any angle. If you like taking pictures, I suggest that you pick a spot, enjoy the view of the coastline and wildlife, take some breathtaking photos and then move along and do it again (and again).

These pictures trace a walk Greg and I took from the bluffs, down to the beach, and then over to the tide pools.

La Jolla Cove, Southern California

From almost any vantage point, we had the perfect opportunity to see the amazing diversity of coastal wildlife that La Jolla Cove is famous for.

California Brown Pelicans, Cormorant and California Sea Lions

After enjoying the vistas from the Coast Walk Trail and paved walkways, we headed down to La Jolla Cove’s sandy beach and explored the boulder-filled tide pools nearby.

La Jolla Cove, A View from the Beach

Although a low tide is better for tide pooling, even at higher tides it’s well worth taking the time to check out the rocky puddles. There is usually a fantastic assortment of coastal critters in the high tide zone, too!

At the far end of the beach – pass through to the explore tide pools at La Jolla Cove.

 Keep your camera ready! This next shot was totally unexpected.

California Sea Lion at La Jolla Cove

Back to tide pooling…Watch your step! These rocks are slick.

Beautiful solitary anemones are plentiful in the La Jolla Cove tide pools.

If you look closely, you’ll find that these are (mostly) hermit crabs.

Rush hour in the tide pool!

Rough Limpets and barnacles in the tide pools at La Jolla Cove.

To fully experience the calm waters and undersea world of the “look but don’t touch” San Diego-Jolla Underwater Park, many visitors scuba dive or snorkel to discover a wonderful variety of colorful, semi-tropical fishes and other marine life. Kayaking and swimming are also very popular activities here.

If you plan to spend the day at La Jolla Cove, you won’t run out of things to do. Enjoy the wildlife;  swim, splash and play on the sandy beach; bring a picnic or buy a box lunch and relax at the nearby grassy Scripps Park; and stroll the cove’s coastline to your heart’s content. Whatever you choose to do with your day at La Jolla Cove, you simply can’t go wrong!

The beach at La Jolla Cove has nearby restrooms, showers and picnic areas.  Lifeguards are stationed at the cove year-round. Paid parking is available in the area, although it’s really a breeze to use San Diego’s award winning public transit system (MTS) to get to the beaches.

Sign posted at La Jolla Cove (Photo: Jody Diehl)

If you do plan to tour the La Jolla Cove tide pools, be sure to wear good beach trekkers, or at least something more protective, and slip-proof, than dime store flip flops! You might also enjoy this previous post on tide pooling and tide pool etiquette:  Tide Pool Etiquette 101.

Have fun at the beach, and don’t forget your camera!

Posted in Beach and Coastal Wildlife, Monday Miscellaneous, Sea Lions and Seals, Southern California Beaches, Tide Pools | Tagged: , , , , , | 8 Comments »

It must be a sign!

Posted by Jody on May 9, 2012

Protecting tide pool creatures and their environment is serious business on the coast of Southern California. How serious? Well, I didn’t even see any evidence of a tide pool area anywhere near this sign posted on the sandy beach in front of the Hotel del Coronado!

Coronado, California

The sign reads: “PROTECT TIDEPOOL AREA. Please do not remove or disturb sea life, shells or rocks. Thank you.”

Cabrillo National Monument, California

The sign pictured above was purposefully placed to warn everyone on the path approaching the tide pools at Cabrillo National Monument near San Diego, California. Note that even the sand is protected by federal law here!

La Jolla, California

La Jolla has many wonderful tide pooling areas up and down the coast. The La Jolla Underwater Park is a protected State Marine Conservation Area. The signs are quite specific here, and “Look, Don’t Touch” sums it all up perfectly!

Have a great day tide pooling, beachcombing or just chillin’ out at the shore!

~~~

Posted in Beach and Coastal Wildlife, Sand and Shoreline, Southern California Beaches, Tide Pools | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Good and Plenty! ~ Black Tegulas ~

Posted by Jody on March 29, 2012

Black Tegulas (Tegula funebralis) are extremely common finds along the Pacific coast of the United States.  Also known as Black Turbans, they live along the shoreline and rocks of the upper and middle intertidal zones from Vancouver Island, British Columbia to the central Baja California peninsula. These little beauties are often found packed tightly into neat and tidy clusters on rocky surfaces and in crevices.

Black Tegulas in a Cluster

A beautiful deep purple-black, the Black Tegula has a sturdy, top shaped shell.  The very tip, or apex, of the shell is usually worn away, revealing a pretty, pearly white layer just beneath the outer smooth, black surface. The inside of the shell is also a pearlescent white. Members of the Top Shell Family (Trochidae), Black Tegulas are herbivores, feeding on seaweed and algae. These plentiful marine snails grow to ¾” – 1 ¾” high.

Black Tegulas -Tegula funebralis- pictured with anemones in upper intertidal zone.

Black Tegulas are an especially fun discovery in their typical tide pool environment.  Get close, be patient, and watch carefully. What is really living in those shells? Are you actually seeing legs?  Could be! You’ll surely discover that some of these strong, solid shells have become comfortable (and, extremely affordable) housing for hermit crabs!

Picking up vacated Black Tegulas on the beach is the best way to collect these rugged, beautifully colored seashells.  As beach treasures, they are the perfect addition to any beachcomber’s treasure trove!

Have a great day at the beach!

~~~~~

Posted in Beach Treasures - Beachcombing, Pacific Coast Beaches, Seashells, Tide Pools | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

A Visit to the Tide Pools at Cabrillo National Monument, San Diego, California

Posted by Jody on February 22, 2012

Tide Pools at Cabrillo National Monument, San Diego, California

By now, you may have noticed that Greg and I really enjoy going tidepooling! Not long ago, we had the pleasure of visiting the tide pools at Cabrillo National Monument, located at the southern tip of the Point Loma Peninsula (just west of San Diego). This park is an exceptional place to see tide pools chock-full of marine life. We were not so fortunate as to see an octopus or sea stars this time around, though. That would have taken a much lower tide level, and our December morning visit just happened to fall during a higher tide. If you have the luxury of time, check out the tide prediction charts provided by the Park Service (courtesy of  Scripps Institution of Oceanography).  Tide pooling, like beachcombing, has advantages if you can plan to explore at the lowest possible water level.

Gooseneck Barnacles, Tide Pools at Cabrillo National Monument, California

Look Closer! Tide Pools at Cabrillo National Monument, California

Still, even at high tide, if you look close enough and take the time to really peer into even the littlest pools, you’ll see limpets, top snails, chitons, barnacles, and hermit crabs.  Striped shore crabs, aggregate anemones and beautiful green-blue solitary anemones are also plentiful here in the high and middle intertidal zones.

A Closer Look. Tide Pool Chitons, Limpets,Top Snails, and Marine Plants

Do yourself a favor and study up a little bit before taking a trip to the tide pools. A good book on intertidal marine life will serve you well! I’ve seen people just glance around and leave, thinking there’s nothing to see. That’s a shame! Greg and I have always been amazed at what really is living in those puddles of sea water!

Solitary Anemones, Tide Pools at Cabrillo National Monument

If you are planning a trip to the area, be sure to have a look at the Cabrillo National Monument website for Tidepooling Tips and Rules to Protect the Tidepools. Keeping in mind that tide pools are home to an abundance of marine life, the National Park Service tells us: “For all present and future visitors to experience and enjoy the healthy and diverse tidepools at Cabrillo National Monument, guidelines are needed to minimize the impacts on organisms from the high levels of visitation.  The overriding consideration is the preservation of tidepool organisms, so no plant or animal should ever be disturbed if there is a possibility of injury.  These organisms are best enjoyed in their natural state, so the best policy is to simply observe them where they are.”

We’d sure love to hear about your favorite tidepooling spot! Please feel free to post a comment, or consider submitting a Guest Post. Happy Tidepooling!

~~~~

Posted in Beach and Coastal Wildlife, Tide Pools | Tagged: , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

Southern California’s Sea Anemones

Posted by Greg on December 21, 2011

Starburst (or Sunburst) Solitary Anemone in a Tide Pool (Photo ©Jody Diehl)

Jody and I had the good fortune of vacationing in San Diego, California recently. While there, we went tide pool exploring at Cabrillo National Monument and along the beaches in La Jolla. Tidepooling was one of the highlights of our trip. The tide pools were teaming with life. We haven’t, in the past, recognized all of the small animals in them. You have to look closely, with some knowledge of what you are looking for, so it helps to do a little research before you head out to explore tide pools.

There are two different types of  sea anemones in Southern California’s coastal tide pools: solitary and aggregate. In the wonderful book, Life Between the Tides by Jeffery L. Brandon & Frank J. Rokop, it says that “the largest of southern California’s anemones is the Solitary Anemone, reaching a diameter of up to 10 inches with it’s tentacles extended, and a column height of nearly 1 foot.”  This variety, when found in a Southern California tide pool, is usually only 3 to 5 inches wide, though.  The Solitary Anemones we spotted were a beautiful green-blue color.

The name Aggregate Anemones  comes from the fact that they clone. That is, they divide in two making two separate animals. As they do this over years, they form a cluster which is called an aggregate.  A Solitary Anemone is one that does not clone.  Thus they appear solitary.

According to National Geographic, sea anemones‘ “bodies are composed of an adhesive pedal disc, or foot, a cylindrical body, and an array of tentacles surrounding a central mouth. The tentacles are triggered by the slightest touch, firing a harpoon-like filament into their victim and injecting a paralyzing neurotoxin. The helpless prey is then guided into the mouth by the tentacles.”

Aggregate Anemones with Black Tegula Snails in a Tide Pool (Photo ©Jody Diehl)

There are more than 1,000 sea anemone species found throughout the world’s oceans at various depths, although the largest and most varied occur in coastal tropical waters. They run the full spectrum of colors and can be as small as half an inch (1.25 centimeters) or as large as 6 feet (1.8 meters) across.”

If you take a close look at the photo on the right, you will see Black Tegula snails nestled in with aggregate anemones. The black tegula snails like to feed on the kelp, algae and seaweed that wash into the tide pools.

We’re looking forward to finding the many different colors and shapes of sea anemones, as we travel and explore beaches and tide pools. If you have tide pool finds you would like to share, check out our submissions page, or leave a comment. We would love to hear about them! Also, if you’re a FaceBook user, we’d love it if you Liked us on FaceBook.

Posted in Beach and Coastal Wildlife, Southern California Beaches, Tide Pools | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Camino De La Costa – An Unexpected Tide Pool on the San Diego Coast (California)

Posted by Jody on December 9, 2011

Last week, Greg and I  headed to sunny Southern California to explore the sometimes rocky, sometimes sandy coast of San Diego. With 70 miles of San Diego County coastline to choose from, we decided the Village of La Jolla would be a great place to begin an “explore.”  From there, we headed south to Pacific Beach, home of the landmark Crystal Pier.  We figured that the best way to really experience what this diverse section of the Pacific coast has to offer is to do so on foot.  Passing by many of the well-known beaches and surfing areas, we enjoyed the ever-changing  ups and downs of the coastline.  We descended well placed stairs, walked along sandy beaches, and just plain scrambled over and across the rocks and ledges that form the coast of this beautiful area of the Golden State.

Camino De La Costa Stairway (©Jody Diehl)

While meandering between La Jolla Cove and Pacific Beach, we found ourselves on a sidewalk that paralleled a more jagged section of the shore. That’s where Greg and I found a wonderful little tide pool area! Clearly others had been there before.  After all, there was a stairway.  Had we been driving along La Jolla Boulevard between the most popular beaches, we never would have seen this beautiful spot just a couple of blocks off the major thoroughfare. We never would have known what we were missing!

Camino De La Costa Rockpools (©Jody Diehl)

This peaceful little tide pool site, jutting into the Pacific Ocean, was teeming with marine life.

Camino De La Costa Rockpools (©Jody Diehl)

Although we are nowhere near expert in intertidal habitats and their residents, we could identify various limpets, chitons, top snails and periwinkles in the Camino De La Costa tide pools. If you zoom in on the photo you may be able to identify so much more!  It’s really amazing how much life exists in such small rock pools of seawater.  Please let us know what you find!

~If you do not expect the unexpected you will not find it, for it is not to be reached by search or trail.~ Heraclitus

Posted in Beach and Coastal Wildlife, Friday Finds, Sand and Shoreline, Southern California Beaches, Tide Pools | Tagged: , , , , | 2 Comments »

 
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