Low Tide Club

Orange County, California -- rocky intertidal

The ocean steps back twice a day. Go see what it leaves behind.

Low Tide Club is a field guide for anyone curious about the tide pools between Corona del Mar and Dana Point -- what lives there, when to go, and how to visit without hurting anything.

Open the field guide Read the ground rules

Four zones, one shoreline

The rocky shore is stacked in bands. Each band spends a different amount of time underwater, and each one has its own residents. Learn the bands and you will know where to look.

  1. Splash zone

    Above high tide -- wet only from spray

    The driest band. Tiny periwinkle snails and the smallest barnacles wait out long dry spells sealed shut. If it lives here, it is built to hold its breath.

  2. High tide zone

    Underwater only at high tide

    Acorn barnacles, limpets, and lined shore crabs. Everything here clamps down, hides in cracks, or scuttles fast. Watch where you put your feet.

  3. Mid tide zone

    Exposed and covered about twice a day

    The busiest neighborhood. Mussel beds, carpets of aggregating anemones, turban snails, hermit crabs, and the occasional ochre sea star working its way through dinner.

  4. Low tide zone

    Exposed only during the lowest tides

    The prize. Giant green anemones, purple urchins, sea hares, bright nudibranchs, and -- if you are patient -- an octopus tucked into a crevice. You only get here on a minus tide.

Timing is everything

Chase the minus tide

Tide tables list heights relative to an average low. A negative number -- like -1.2 ft -- means the water pulls back further than usual and the low zone comes out. Aim for 0.0 ft or lower.

Show up early

Arrive about an hour before the listed low. You get time to walk out as the water drops, and you are heading back while the tide is still in your favor.

Know your season

In Southern California the best winter lows tend to fall in the afternoon and evening. Summer lows lean toward early morning. Bring a light in winter.

Never turn your back

Sneaker waves happen even on calm days. Keep the ocean in view, stay off rocks that are getting wet from fresh spray, and leave with plenty of time to spare.

New here? Start with three things

  1. Look up the tide for your beach on the NOAA Tides and Currents site.
  2. Read the tidepool etiquette page -- it takes two minutes.
  3. Pick a spot from Where to Go and bring shoes you do not mind getting wet.