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.

Dave

Richie

Carol, Ronnie and Cooper

As we were leaving, one last look revealed a snowy egret also enjoying the tidepools...

...who was joined by a California Gull.

Until next time, let the good times roll...

HAPPY TRAILS!