Crystal Cove State Park

California Spiny Lobster (Panulirus interruptus) Shell at Minus 1.6 Feet Tide, Crystal Cove State Park, California

For several years now, I have gone to tide pools during the winter months whenever the tides range from -1.0 to -2.5 feet. My goal has been to photograph the ever-elusive octopus. Octopus are generally found in rocky reefs hiding underneath rocky surfaces while half-submerged in water so they are difficult to find. They also change colors as well so finding one has proven to be quite the treasure hunt.

On a tidal zone scale of one through six, octopus are generally considered to be in the level 6 category of marine wildlife so the most likely opportunities to spot one would be when the tide is around the -2.0 feet level. In Southern California, I think the lowest tide I have ever photographed was -1.9 or -2.0 because it only gets that low for a day or two per year. Further up the Pacific Coast, the tide gets lower however and I have photographed down to negative 2.5 foot tides in the past.

My luck was no different on Saturday at Crystal Cove State Park. I did manage to photograph a nearly complex exoskeleton of a California Spiny Lobster however as it was actually lying on the beach, not even in the tide pool. I think that was a result of the extreme difference between high and low tide. In the morning, high tide was a +7.1 ft. and the low tide was -1.6 ft. For my next tide pool adventure I am going to explore a tide pool that I have never been to before so I'll keep that location a secret for now. From what I have heard, that place yields more marine wildlife. :-)

Orange County Coastline, Crystal Cove State Park, California