The Parker Project: tidepools

Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Tidepooling at Shell Beach La Jolla

tidepooling, shell beach, la jolla, san diego

For P's 4th birthday we told him we can do anything he wants and he chose tidepooling. My kid has a passion for the ocean and all the living critters that inhabit it. We drove to La Jolla on a very foggy day and spent a couple of hours exploring the tidepools at Shell Beach. Scroll down to see all the fun animals we spotted!

Mom tips:
1. The steps down to the beach are a little precarious. There are a lot slippery rocks to climb over in order to get to the tidepools. Watch your step!
2. Wear the right shoes. I recommend water shoes with good grip.
3. Be sure to check the tide chart for the best time to go.
4. Bring a bucket to collect and observe your finds. Make sure to put everything back before you leave the beach.

Here are some additional resources on where to go tidepooling in San Diego.

Tripadvisor
Hidden San Diego
La Jolla Mom

san diego, la jolla, shell beach, tidepooling

[See all that green stuff on the rocks? That's sea grass and it is everywhere. Watch where you step because it's very slippery.]

[If this looks familiar, it's because this is where we took those awesome octopus costume photos of Parker last October. We spotted a lot of little fish in some of the deeper pools.]

[You can find small crabs tucked in the nooks and crannies of the rocks. They're easy to spot if you sit still and let them come out of hiding.]

[Mussels!]

[P was one really happy birthday boy.]

[Snails were easiest for the kids to find and collect and they were everywhere.]

[Our most interesting find of the day were a pair of these crabs sitting in the sea grass. They look like something out of a science fiction movie. Can anyone identify the species?]

[Parker and Kaden with grandma.]

san diego, la jolla, shell beach, tidepooling, birthday

[After tidepooling, we had a feast at Noble Chef and then came back to our house to sing happy birthday to Parker. It took 4 years but he doesn't cry when we sing happy birthday anymore.]

[Congrats to us for killing it at parenting for the last 4 years. *fist bump*]

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Cabrillo National Monument 27th Annual Whale Watching Weekend and Inter-Tidal Life Festival - Jan 11-12, 2014

On Saturday, we took Parker to the the Cabrillo National Monument for their 27th Annual Whale Watching Weekend and Inter-Tidal Life Festival. I'm really glad we were looking forward to visiting the tidepools instead of trying to spot some whales because the fog was so thick that you would have needed x-ray vision to spot anything at all. In preparation for our trip to the beach, I made Tuan go with me to find water shoes.

Me: We need water shoes to go tidepooling.

T: Why? We can just wear flip flops.

Me: What if you slip and drop the baby??

T: I'm not gonna drop the baby.

Me: You might drop the baby.

T:...you just want another pair of shoes.

Me: :)

And that is how we both ended up with new ugly-as-sin but very practical water shoes. I LOVE them.

I hope these photos inspire you to get outdoors and spend some time exploring our beautiful coast. Make sure check when low tide is and arrive early because parking is very limited. We spotted hermit crabs, fish, seaweed, seagrass and anemones among the tidepools. I put Parker down and he was so curious about the textures of the rocks and seaweed. He wriggled his toes in the sand and splashed in the water. The highlight of the day was when he picked up a hermit crab and popped it into his mouth! I quickly fished it out and realized my son is not afraid of anything...which is exactly how I want him to be. For $5/day ($15 for an annual pass) you could not find a better deal. Hopefully next time we go it won't be so foggy. You never know, we might spot a grey whale!