sources:
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/top-lists/best-tide-pools-in-la-and-oc/
http://traveltips.usatoday.com/beaches-southern-california-lot-seashells-tide-pools-106295.html
http://www.californiabeaches.com/best-tide-pools-los-angeles-oc/
Southern California is famous for its beaches and not just because of what we've all see on TV's "Baywatch." The types and terrain of shorelines from Santa Barbara to San Diego are vastly different, ranging from rough and rocky to smooth and serene. Tide pools and seashells are popular draws for both local and visiting beachgoers, and SoCal offers plenty of both. Removal of any animal species is prohibited without a permit, but with a fishing permit you may take some creatures to be used for food. Shells can be collected in non-protected areas.
No matter where you venture, be careful to only walk on rocks and not in the pools themselves. Avoid stepping on any living organism and read all the informational signs about tidepooling at these beaches before entering the water. Above all, don’t touch or remove any of the marine animals. Bring a camera so you can take pictures instead.
Southern California locals are blessed with more than our fair share of beautiful beaches. Some boast wide expanses of soft white sand while others feature rocky crags containing tiny sea life worlds just waiting to be explored. Southern California’s tide pools are fragile ecosystems best explored with our eyes, not our hands, and mostvisible
at low tide. Check the tide tables, grab an identification chart, and head to one of these beaches for a couple hours of tide pool fun!
at low tide. Check the tide tables, grab an identification chart, and head to one of these beaches for a couple hours of tide pool fun!Shaw's Cove in Laguna Beach
(credit: Sharlene Earnshaw)
Laguna's beaches are a series of sandy coves backed by rocky cliffs, and each beach has a different landscape and personality. Although many of the jewel-like coves -- Pearl, Diamond, Ruby and Agate -- have tide pool features, the most dramatic is Shaw's Cove. Descending the 58-foot staircase is an event in itself, but you will be rewarded by oversized tide pools filled with colorful anemones, sea urchins, sea stars and sea slugs. You are not allowed to take any of the animals from the tide pools, so bring a camera. Shaw's small sandy beach will reveal a good variety of shells: moon snails, purple dwarf olives and California cones are usually there for the taking, but check to make sure they are not occupied by hermit crabs.
This local spot is popular with divers, snorkelers, and tide poolers. There are no bathroom facilities here so make sure you have emptied your bladder before heading down the 58-step staircase. Those who have made the journey down to this scenic cove will be rewarded with large tide pools filled with anemones, urchins, sea stars, and more.
89 Cliff Drive
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Carpinteria State Beach
Twelve miles south of the city of Santa Barbara, Carpinteria State Beach -- like many Santa Barbara county beaches -- has a large and lively tide pool area. Here, you'll find not only urchins, anemones and small fish but also a variety of small octopi. Shelling here is good, especially during low tide. The beach is flat and easily accessible. The weather remains in the mid-70s Fahrenheit year-round, and Carpenteria is a prime place to see seals and whales.
Leo Carrillo Beach in Malibu
(credit: brenbot/flickr.com)
You may not be able to hobnob with the stars in Malibu, but you most certainly will get an closeup view of the starfish in the tide pools of Leo Carrillo Beach. Named after the conservationist and actor who played the sidekick Pancho in "The Cisco Kid" series, this 1.5-mile beach has spots for swimming, surfing, windsurfing and surf fishing. A favorite for school field trips, the tide pools harbor the usual suspects from crabs and barnacles to anemones and urchins. The network of shoreline caves are fun to explore, and they tend to trap a nice variety of shells that come in with the tide. Portable toilets and showers are available in the camping area.
Any day spent on a beach in Malibu is a great day whether it is spent surfing, swimming, or combing the rocky tidal regions. Leo Carillo’s pools are filled with marine life from barnacles to starfish. Before you say farewell to this slice of Southern California paradise, be sure to embrace your inner pirate and explore the sea caves.
This park has two separate beach areas near the visitor center, North Beach and South Beach. In between is an area with rocky cliffs, caves, and tunnels known as Sequit Point. At low tide this is a fun place to explore for sea stars and other marine life. South Beach has a wide rocky shoreline provides easy access to many small tide pools. Hermit crabs, anemones, and small fish are easily spotted in this area.
Abalone Cove Shoreline Park, Rancho Palos Verdes
(credit: Tina Hsu/flickr.com)
This park features three beaches, Abalone Cove, Sacred Cove, andPortuguese Bend Cove all of which feature tide pools. Various trails lead from the parking lot to these beaches. Sacred Cove and Portuguese Bend (below an archery range) are farther from the parking lot keeping crowds at bay. Sea caves and tunnels can be found at the ends of the two points between the three coves.
This beach and its protected tide pools in Rancho Palos Verdes may not be the easiest to get to (a short but very steep trail leads to the beach) but the effort required means this beach is almost never crowded, leaving you with plenty of space to spread out and enjoy yourself. Parents will be happy to find a small playground and a lifeguard on duty on weekends.
5970 Palos Verdes Drive South
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275
(310) 377-1222
Golden Cove Beach, Rancho Palos Verdes
The lack of a sandy beach here means many rocky pools for exploring. The trail down from the parking lot can be rough and exposed in places. The largest tide pools are on the north side of cove and are clearly visible from the bluff at the top of the trail.
Treasure Cove Beach, Crystal Cove State Park, Newport Beach
(credit: Sharlene Earnshaw)
This beach features a wide array of tide pools, from smaller ones easily found near the sand to hidden treasures further out among the rocks where sea stars can sometimes be spotted. The visitor center occasionally offers naturalist-guided tide pool walks, great for young scientists.
This state park is one of California’s gems. Volunteers lead tide pool walks at this pristine beach reminiscent of the California beaches of yesteryear. All the usual tide pool suspects call this place home and brown pelicans in V formation are often spotted soaring overhead. If you work an appetite with all that exploration stop by Beachcomber Café which offers sit-down dining on the sand or Ruby’s Shake Shack at the top of the cliff which serves burgers, sandwiches, and shakes.
an appetite with all that exploration stop by Beachcomber Café which offers sit-down dining on the sand or Ruby’s Shake Shack at the top of the cliff which serves burgers, sandwiches, and shakes.
8471 N. Coast Highway
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
(949) 494-3539
Little Corona del Mar Beach, Newport Beach
(credit: Sharlene Earnshaw)
This cove is sheltered from large waves by rocky reefs, making it an ideal habitat for small tide pool dwellers. The rocks here can be sharp, so good footwear is recommended for exploring. There are also some sea caves and alcoves that can hide sea urchins, crabs, and more. Cameo Shores Beach is a short walk south from Little Corona and offers even more excellent tide pools. Since the private community of Cameo Shores locks their gates to the public, walking over rocks from Little Corona Del Mar Beach is the only way to get here.
Corona del Mar is between Laguna and Newport Beaches, and like so many good tide pool beaches, it is at the base of a cliff. Unlike many other Orange County beaches, however, you will not have to make the descent via stairs to get to Little Corona. Instead, you'll go down a steep cement path, a boon for those with rolling ice chests or dive equipment trolleys. Tide pools here are literally crawling with hermit crabs, and at low tide you'll also see big and little fish, purple urchins and a forest of waving anemones. The adjoining sandy beach has a nice variety of shells. But it's a hefty fine for taking them, and there is always a lifeguard on duty. However, you are permitted to remove sea glass, and Little Corona is littered with these colorful smooth glass pebbles.
Visitors to this beach park in a posh residential neighborhood filled with stunning oceanfront homes before walking down the hill to a little beach that seems cut off from the world. The tide pooling here is some of the best in all of Southern California and at low tide huge limpets, several sea stars, loads of purple sea urchins, and more anemones that one can count are often visible. Tiny fish, masses of mussels, and dozens of hermit crabs are also waiting to be discovered.
Pacific Coast Highway & Poppy Ave.
Corona del Mar, CA 92625
Dana Point Headlands Beach, Dana Point
Large boulders dot the beach here, creating an ideal habitat for many sea creatures. The nearby Ocean Institute sponsors a Tide Pool Interpretive Program where docents will explain various tide pool inhabitants. Visitors can also explore on their own.
Rockpile Beach, Laguna Beach
As the name suggests, rocks abound at this beach. At high tide, almost no sand remains and the beach all but disappears. Low tide reveals an abundance of tide pools. During extremely low tide, it’s possible to get close to Bird Rock, a bird sanctuary that is off-limits to people.
Crescent Bay Beach, Laguna Beach
The water stays relatively calm at this cove, making the shoreline a great place to explore. Rocky formations at either end of the beach create perfect little tide pools for many sea creatures. Off the north point of the cove sits Seal Rock, where seals and sea lions can be seen most days.
Fisherman’s Cove Beach, Laguna Beach
This secluded spot is popular with scuba divers and snorkelers because of the rocky ocean bottom near the shore. At low tide, these rocks create tide pools with an array of colorful anemones, sea cucumbers, and more.
Royal Palms State Beach
(credit: Sharlene Earnshaw)
Below the bluffs sits San Pedro’s Royal Palms State Beach. Walk past the pools closest to the parking lot and ignore the feral cats that call this strip of coast home to find another set of pools teeming with scurrying crabs, tiny translucent shrimp, and even the occasional octopus. Parking is metered so bring those quarters.
it's close to White Point Beach, San Pedro District of LA
Because of its secluded and unique location, White Point Beach has tide pools rich with a variety of plants and animals. The tide pools can be found by the big rocks near the sand. There are also a number of rock formations that can be explored at low tide which usually hide interesting sea creatures.
