Last updated: February 20, 2024
Place
Tidepool Wayside Display
NPS Photo/M. O'Barr
Quick Facts
Location:
32°40.168’, 117°14.714’
Amenities
2 listed
Scenic View/Photo Spot, Tactile Exhibit
The Rocky Intertidal Zone
The Cabrillo National Monument Rocky Intertidal (tidepool) Zone is one of the park’s most loved features due to the opportunity it gives visitors to experience life just beneath the waves.
Please make sure to wear sunscreen and bring enough water before attempting to enter the intertidal area.
Shoes with grip are important for tidepool safety. Walking barefoot results in the risk of cuts or injury to visitor. Rocks are slippery due to algal growth and visitors should proceed with caution.
The tidepools are accessible to explore only at low tide. Guests are encouraged to check the San Diego tidal calendar before visiting. The best time to see low tides at the park are during the fall and winter months. In spring and summer, the water level is above the tidepools during park hours. The Rocky Intertidal Zone is one of the most biodiverse areas on the planet. During your visit, you may see plants and animals such as hermit crabs, sea stars, algae, mussels, and barnacles. Everyone plays a part in preserving this ecosystem. You can help the park preserve this resource by packing out any trash you bring, not pulling organisms off of rocks, not removing any rocks or shells, and watching your step as you explore!
Did You Know?
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The Owl Limpet (Lottia gigantea) is a snail with a low-profile, white, black, and brown shell and a strong muscular foot that attaches to the rock. These animals can be found throughout the rocky intertidal from Washington to Baja California, Mexico, and are the largest of the Pacific Coast true limpets, growing to about 4 inches (10 cm) in length.
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---Owl Limpets are something called sexually dimorphic, which means all Owl Limpets start life as males and, when they reach a certain size, turn into females! Can you find an Owl Limpet? See if you can find both sexes: Any individual over approximately 4 cm is a female, and individuals smaller than that are males!
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California Brown Sea Hares (Aplysia californica) are soft-bodied sea slugs that on average grow to be 12-15 inches (40cm) in length. California Sea Hares are often a mottled dark red-black color due to their red algae diet. A sea hare fits its namesake well and can be identified based on their heads that appear to have bunny ears!
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Hopkins’ Rose Nudibranchs (Okenia rosacea) are only 2-3cm long but they are hard to miss due to their bright pink, frilly papillae swaying in the water.
Accessibility: Not wheelchair accessible.
Resources:
https://www.nps.gov/cabr/learn/nature/tidepools.htm
https://www.nps.gov/cabr/learn/nature/tidepools.htm#PrepareForVisit
https://www.nps.gov/cabr/learn/nature/tidepools.htm#ProtectingTheTidepools