![]() Sunset Cliffs Natural Park Beach After descending a fairly steep trail (wear good shoes for the trek), visitors are rewarded with little crabs, fish and sea anemones. There is a parking lot up top along with picnic tables. Swami’s State Beach Tide Pools Located in Encinitas along Highway 101, the tide pools are located at the bottom of the stairs where sea hares, brittle stars and hermit crabs hang out. Be sure to check the tide schedule before venturing out. Here is a list of tide pool locations where children (and adults!) can experience the treasures of the ocean up close. And living in and around San Diego means this activity can be enjoyed all year round. Though they probably don’t have a grudge against deer.Kids love to wander around the edge of the ocean exploring the little gems left behind by the sea. When disturbed, they take flight and let out a shrill loud cry that almost sounds like “kill-deer,” which is how the common name came to be. They are tan on top and white below with two dark bars across their chest and white and black patches on their face. Killdeers have a large rounded head, large eyes, and the short bill characteristic of plovers. The killdeer ( Charadrius vociferus) is San Diego County’s most widespread shorebird and can be found in dry areas too. It is common to see brown pelicans and you may find yourself within a few feet of long-billed curlews, marbled godwits, plovers, and killdeer, as well as the ever-present western gulls. In addition to the sea creatures, many shore birds enjoy these beaches. In fact, the aglaja is a sea slug that is a predator of nudibranchs! You may also encounter a California aglaja ( Navanax inermis), which is not a nudibranch despite also being brilliantly colored with bright blue, orange, and white on a black body. A particularly spectacular and common nudibranch is the Spanish shawl ( Flabellina iodinea), easily identified by its purple main body and bright orange cerata, or horn-like protrusions. The name nudibranch refers to the fact that they do not have a hard body shell but are “nude” instead, relying on chemical rather than physical defenses. The bright colors on nudibranch serve to warn potential predators of their poisonous nature. If lucky, you might spot the occasional nudibranch or sea slug (class Gastropoda), a small but often spectacularly-colored soft bodied, gastropod mollusk. Sea anemones, small crabs, and fish frequent these hiding places. More detailed information about plants, wildlife, history, and geology of the area can be found at City of San Diego La Jolla Shores. Collecting any living marine resources is prohibited by the public in these areas, which in part is what helps them retain integrity and makes them such good places to go tidepooling.īefore you go, check to ensure the trail is open. ![]() The tide pools here are part of designated marine protected areas, similar to state parks. In fact, it’s a good idea to watch your footing, since the rocks can be slippery and the waves can surprise you when they shoot up between rock crevices.Ĭontinue past the tide pools all the way up to Black’s Beach for a longer distance, about 5 miles from the south to the north during low tide. As you explore the tide pools on this side, be aware that what looks like pieces of shells scattered among the rocks may actually be covering dozens of sea anemones. Some of the rocks feature large swirl patterns hinting at ancient earthquake activity. If choosing to walk along the beach about 0.5 mile to the north, just past Scripps Pier, there is another set of tide pools in a rocky area with some very interesting rock formations in the Scripps Coastal Reserve area. If the tide is low enough, walk around the corner toward smooth, flat-topped black rock formations that host many small tide pools. Walking about half a mile to the south, you will come to the end of a row of red-roofed buildings. There are tide pools both to the north and to the south of the park on the beach, so choose either direction or start at one end and work your way to the other. High tide will cover the tide pools and cut the hikeable beach route by more than half. The best time to arrive is at or a little before low tide. Keep an eye on the tide schedules, get up early on the weekend, and head down to La Jolla Shores for a relaxing and fascinating hike to the tide pools.
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