Tides are as familiar to experienced beach-goers as all the items they pack for a day at the shore: blanket, beach chair, beach umbrella, sunblock, ice chest. The sea level's rising and falling play a critical role on exactly where we pitch this camp for our fun in the sun and surf. Everyone of us has a story of the time an especially large wave washed over our encampment as the tide stealthily creeped higher up the shore, stealing a sneaker or a shirt on its return to the ocean.
On rocky coastlines tides cover and reveal a world teaming with life that's especially adapted to these regular periods in and out of water. Last weekend shortly after sunrise I investigated exposed tidal pools in La Jolla, California during the first low tide of the day.
Tides are the result of the gravitational effect of the moon and the sun along with the Earth's rotation on our seas. They're mostly on a predictable schedule, ebbing and flowing twice a day, resulting in two low and two high tides. There is usually a lower low tide and a higher high tide; unfortunately last weeks lower low tide in La Jolla was in the middle of the night.
Nonetheless I was able to get an up-close view into the intertidal zone, an area that is covered half the day by the Pacific Ocean. The exposed cracks, crevices and cavities are home to fascinating life forms that live for short periods out of the water. The deeper indentations in the rocks create tidal pools where water collects during much of the low tide, offering an easy glimpse into an underwater world.
Safely ensconced in their protective shells, chitons, limpets, periwinkles and turban snails are a few of the marine mollusks I spotted clinging to stone surfaces. Tiny fish darted in the pools while mussels and gooseneck barnacles clumped safely together, high out of the water. Especially vibrant were the striped shore crabs with their burgundy-colored claws. Some sea anemones radiated a brilliant mint green color while other duller specimens aggregated in tight clusters.
I wasn't alone on the exposed shore as I investigated the tidal pools; several species of shore bird were just as interested in the easy-to-find marine life. The whimbrels and sooty turnstones were even first-time sightings for me as they joined sandpipers and plovers scouring the slippery rocks for breakfast.
I missed seeing starfish (aka sea stars) and sea urchins, denizens below the lowest low tide, in the submerged, subtidal zone. But one of the joys of frequent travel is the opportunity to repeat your visits with new experiences and knowledge under your belt and with fine-tuned goals in mind. The lowest tide will be in daylight hours in the fall: an excellent time to plan a trip back to La Jolla.
On rocky coastlines tides cover and reveal a world teaming with life that's especially adapted to these regular periods in and out of water. Last weekend shortly after sunrise I investigated exposed tidal pools in La Jolla, California during the first low tide of the day.
Tides are the result of the gravitational effect of the moon and the sun along with the Earth's rotation on our seas. They're mostly on a predictable schedule, ebbing and flowing twice a day, resulting in two low and two high tides. There is usually a lower low tide and a higher high tide; unfortunately last weeks lower low tide in La Jolla was in the middle of the night.
Nonetheless I was able to get an up-close view into the intertidal zone, an area that is covered half the day by the Pacific Ocean. The exposed cracks, crevices and cavities are home to fascinating life forms that live for short periods out of the water. The deeper indentations in the rocks create tidal pools where water collects during much of the low tide, offering an easy glimpse into an underwater world.
Safely ensconced in their protective shells, chitons, limpets, periwinkles and turban snails are a few of the marine mollusks I spotted clinging to stone surfaces. Tiny fish darted in the pools while mussels and gooseneck barnacles clumped safely together, high out of the water. Especially vibrant were the striped shore crabs with their burgundy-colored claws. Some sea anemones radiated a brilliant mint green color while other duller specimens aggregated in tight clusters.
I wasn't alone on the exposed shore as I investigated the tidal pools; several species of shore bird were just as interested in the easy-to-find marine life. The whimbrels and sooty turnstones were even first-time sightings for me as they joined sandpipers and plovers scouring the slippery rocks for breakfast.
I missed seeing starfish (aka sea stars) and sea urchins, denizens below the lowest low tide, in the submerged, subtidal zone. But one of the joys of frequent travel is the opportunity to repeat your visits with new experiences and knowledge under your belt and with fine-tuned goals in mind. The lowest tide will be in daylight hours in the fall: an excellent time to plan a trip back to La Jolla.
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| View of a rocky beach at low tide in La Jolla with several tidal pools. |
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| Sea anemone in tidal pool. |
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| Sea anemones in tidal pool with limpets and snails exposed above the water line. |
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| Aggregating sea anemones in La Jolla tidal pool. |
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| Exposed limpets above tidal pool. |
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| Chiton in tidal pool. |
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| Type of turban snail or possibly periwinkle in tidal pool. |
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| Gooseneck barnacles above a tidal pool in La Jolla. |
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| Striped shore crab in tight crevice. |
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| Whimbrel investigating a tidal pool. |
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| Sandpiper investigating a tidal pool in La Jolla. |
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| A sooty turnstone with plovers investigating tidal pools in La Jolla. |
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