Please respect these fragile ecosystems and avoid walking on the sea creatures. If you get lucky, you may even encounter an octopus. San Diego’s tide pools are teeming with Pacific Ocean sea creatures, including crabs, starfish, limpets, chitons, sea urchins, mussels, anemones, and sea cucumbers. Please respect the fragile ecosystem you’re entering and tread lightly. Some people like to bring buckets with them for collecting shells and sea life as souvenirs, but it’s better to take nothing and leave nothing behind.
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Wearing shoes shouldn’t, however, be used as a license to stomp on sensitive habitat and sea life.
Closed-toed shoes with grippy soles are best, as the rocks of the tide pools can be slippery. It’s also wise to bring sun protection, including a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen.Īnother addition is some shoes you don’t mind getting wet so that you can walk on the rocky shore without tearing up your feet. I like to wear a bathing suit, so I’m not worried about getting wet. Example of a NOAA chart showing San Diego tide cycleįor tide pooling, you’ll want to bring the basics you’d typically bring to the beach. Below is an example of a tide graph that shows the tidal cycle over a 24 hour period. Where possible, I’ve provided information below on what tides work best for the different spots. To find out the tide schedule and height to find the best days and times, check the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) website which offers daily tide charts and annual tide forecast tables. The tide cycles every 24 hours, 50 minutes, so that every day the high and low tides come 50 minutes later. This can make for great tide pooling on low tides.
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Full moons and new moons exert the strongest gravitational pull and thus result in very high and very low tides. The phase of the moon also influences the tides by exerting gravitational force on the ocean. In some areas, the tide drops far enough to create pools only during this period, while in other areas tide pools are accessible year-round during low tides. Generally speaking, the best time for tide pooling in San Diego is between November and March when the lowest tides occur during the day. Tides vary on an annual cycle as a result of the gravitational force of the sun. Generally speaking, the lower the tide the better for exploring the rocky shelves along the shore, as more tide pools will be exposed and accessible. Below that, you’ll find a list of some of the best places for tide pooling in San Diego.
Here, I’ve provided tips for finding the best times of day and year to go tide pooling and what to bring with you, based on my past experiences. Beyond catching waves and relaxing on the sand, another great way to explore the coastline is tide pooling – exploring the low-tide pools in rocky areas along the shore that are home to Southern California’s unique sea life. San Diego is known for its many sun-drenched beaches and surf breaks, and for good reason.
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