good-times-rollin: Kellet's Whelk

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Cabrillo Tidepools

San Diego Metro KOA
Cula Vista, CA
January 10, 2017

I visit the beach to walk and enjoy the pups and surf. I go to the tide pools to explore and experience. Yesterday, the low tide was at 2:03 pm and the weather cooperated for a fun day of doing just that...exploring and experiencing. I'll say from the get-go, I didn't see many marine species. A disappointment yes, but that didn't spoil my excitement for looking and being there.

The Kellet's Whelk is the largest sea snail.

The home of a Wavy Turban Snail (characterized by having a heavily sculptured spiral shell) sits on a clump of surf grass.

The algae was especially brilliant.

Once these Gooseneck Barnacles attach to the rocks as larvae, they do not move their entire lives.

A Bat Star hiding under a rock.

The solitary sea anemone is the largest of the Southern California anemones. Their color comes from the symbiotic algae that live in them.

Sand-castle worms are tube builders and almost always found in a colony. Even though the worm is only 2 inches long, they cement together tiny grains of sand and shells to create reefs up to 6 feet long.

Exploring works up an appetite. Snack with a view...

And one last look before we go...

The ride to the tidepools at Point Loma take you through Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery. It's a beautiful and somber drive.

Until next time, let the good times roll.

HAPPY TRAILS !

P.S. Check out last years tidepool day in the featured post (top right side tool bar). I saw three stars !

Saturday, January 9, 2016

Cabrillo Tidepools

San Diego Metro KOA
Chula Vista, CA
January 8, 2016

Yeah, yeah, hip-hip hooray! Finally, play day at the tidepools. It rained, no poured all week with flash flood warnings posted everyday. Imagine waking up Friday morning to blue skies and sunshine. We were good to go!

We met Ronnie and Carol and Dave and Richie (We missed Lynn as she was at home with acute bronchitis.) a little after 1:00pm excited and ready to explore.

It's a short walk to the pools. My fingers were snapping pictures and my feet were hurrying as fast as they could go.

There is a good 11/2 hours before the low tide begins to come back in. I wanted every second to count exploring, experiencing, and learning.

Almost there....

Rocky Intertidal where land and water merge

The word "intertidal" refers to the unique ecosystem that lies between the high and low tides. Tidepools are the depressions where water is trapped during low tides.

We saw lots of Anemones.

The solitary sea anemoneis are the largest of the So Cal anemones reaching a diameter of 10 inches. Their color comes from the symbiotic algae that live in them.

I took the picture below with an underwater camera.

The rocks have amazing colors.

Kellet's Whelk

I think I climbed on everyone of these rocks! And often walked in between them...

Seagrasses are flowering plants that form large clumps.

Gooseneck Barnacles are found in clumps. Once they attach to the rocks as larvae, they do not move their entire lives.

A Hermit Crab taken with the underwater camera.

Sandstone cliffs undergo constant erosion. Geologically these cliffs are known as the Point Loma Formation. Fossils, including dinosaur fossils, (one of the few sites of dinosaur fossils in California) found here date back 75 million years.