Explore the undersea world at Bay Area tidepools

June 23, 11:32 AMSF Slow Family Life ExaminerSusan Sachs Lipman

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AP Photo/Pat Wellenbach

The undersea world is always fun to explore at low tide, when creatures like barnacles, crabs, periwinkles, and sea stars, who are normally underwater, become revealed. This summer, we in the Bay Area are in store for an especially stellar show, as there will be an unusual amount of very low tides, or minus tides, at times of the day when we can get out and enjoy them.

Reading a Tide Table

Tides are relatively predictable, but not entirely, as they can be altered by factors like temperature, air pressure, storms, and wind. A tide table is like a forecast, as opposed to a rigid schedule. That said, tide tables are usually fairly accurate. Most tide tables read in military time (a 24-hour clock), rather than using a.m. and p.m. Tides are measured in feet, so a 2.0 tide means that the water is two feet high.

The intertidal zone, which is what you’ll be exploring, is the area that is revealed during a low tide and covered during a high tide. You can begin to see some creatures in this area when the tide is as low as 1.5, but your best bet for seeing a show is to visit when the tide is listed as a “minus tide”, which is an especially low tide. Try to time your visit to arrive before the time listed, so you catch the tide going out. Generally it goes out (becomes lower) for about two hours, and comes back in for an hour and a half, so that’s the window of time for the visit. You need to be aware of the time and the tides, especially if the beach you’re exploring is one that can become cut off from access during high tides, or is known for tides that rise quickly. (The best beaches for exploring intertidal life with children have easy access, even during high tides, and are not known for large waves or drastic changes. That said, visitors still have to be aware of the tides and the time.)

This is a fairly accessible tide table. There are others online, and others that can be purchased at bookstores and marine-supply stores in calendar form.

Bay Area tide tables often reference the tide time at Golden Gate. Be sure to follow any links to the adjusted times for different spots up and down the coast, as the tide times change based on exactly where the tide hits.

Upcoming Minus Tides

The following are days and times for upcoming minus tides. As mentioned, there is an unusual abundance of opportunities for visiting a tidepool this summer. Note that these are all minus tides at Golden Gate. Be sure to adjust the time for your tidepool spot.

Weds., June 24, 7:24 a.m., -1.9
Thurs., June 25, 8:11 a.m., -1.6
Fri., June 26, 8:58 a.m., -1.1
Sat., June 27, 9:45 a.m., -0.4

Tues., July 7, 6:28 a.m., -0.7
Wed., July 8, 7:00 a.m., -0.6
Thurs., July 9, 7:31 a.m., -0.5
Fri., July 10, 8:02 a.m., -0.3

Thurs., July 23, 7:03 a.m., -1.3
Fri., July 24, 7:46 a.m., -0.9
Sat., July 25, 8:28 a.m., -0.3

Thurs., Aug. 6, 6:31 a.m., -0.1

Fri., Aug. 21, 6:35 a.m., -0.4

Some Places to Experience Tidepools

Pillar Point Harbor, Half Moon Bay. Pillar Point features a large, easily accessible tidepool area rife with creatures like sea urchins, sponges, sea anemones, and sea stars. This is also a commercial fishing harbor. Boats come in with fresh fish for sale daily, and there is a fishing pier.

Directions: From the South or East Bays, take Highways 101, 280, or 880 to Highway 92 West. Go north on Highway 1 in Half Moon Bay. Turn left (west) on Capistrano Road (signal light four miles North of Half Moon Bay). Take the first left into Pillar Point Harbor.

From the North Bay, take Highway 1 South seven miles past Pacifica. Turn right (west) on Capistrano Road, and take the first left into Pillar Point Harbor.

For more information, see the San Mateo County Harbor District site.

Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, Moss Beach. This slightly rocky seashore is more natural than Pillar Point and provides a different experience. Its shallow marine shelf offers a very rich habitat with a variety of sea stars, crabs, mollusks, and sea urchins. There are species within this three-mile reserve that are found nowhere else in the world. Naturalists are often present during minus tides.

Directions: Take Highway 1 to California Street in Moss Beach, and turn west. Fitzgerald Marine Reserve is at the end of the street. You can also take Highway 280 to Highway 92 to the ocean, and then go north on Highway 1 to Moss Beach. The reserve is at the end of the street. The area is also served by SamTrans bus. This SamTrans site has more information.

For more information, see the Friends of the Fitzgerald Reserve site or the San Mateo County Parks site.

Duxbury Reef State Marine Sanctuary, Bolinas. Though in Bolinas, Duxbury Reef is part of the extensive Point Reyes National Seashore. Connecting to lovely Agate Beach, mile-long Duxbury is the largest shale intertidal reef in North America. It’s known for calm surf and relative privacy for visitors. Its very accessible tidepools are home to clams, limpets, urchins, anemones, and sea stars, among other animals. Duxbury Reef doesn’t have the amenities of the other tidepool areas, but it makes up for that with its ease of discovery and its array of sea creatures.

Directions: Take Highway 1 to the Bolinas turnoff, which is Olema-Bolinas Road. Be warned that the turnoff is often unmarked. You can also take the more northern Horseshoe Hill Road, which turns into Olema-Bolinas Road in Bolinas. Turn right on Mesa Road. Turn left onto Overlook Drive. Make a right on Elm and follow it to its end, or where it turns into Ocean Parkway, and park in the parking lot for the reef and beach.

For more information, see the Point Reyes National Seashore site or the Marin County Open Space - Agate Beach site.