San Simeon Tide Pools

It was hard for me to write the title to this post without adding exclamation marks at the end. This is one of my absolute favorite places, and favorite things to do, here on the Central Coast. I only "discovered" it a few weeks ago, while our 5 and 8 year old goddaughters were visiting.

Before that, I had only explored the tide pools at Coralina Cove, in the Montana de Oro. During my visits there, I would always see a few species of anemones, plenty of hermit crabs and at least one starfish. It seemed worth the treacherous climb across sharp, slippery rocks to peer at these things. But, I didn't think it would be a safe place to bring the kids.

After a little research, I decided to take them north on Highway One to San Simeon beach. I'd been there before because it is directly across the road from the entrance to Hearst Castle. It's a nice beach, but I didn't remember seeing any tide pools. I guess I just wasn't looking. It is tide pool heaven!

I hope you'll add this beach to the top of your "Places to Go" list.

If low tide is near a meal time on the day you go (REMEMBER to check a tide book before you plan your visit) bring a picnic! There's a lovely spot with benches and tables looking out over the beach.




Or, you could bring a blanket and have your lunch on the sand. It's such a pretty place, you'll want to hang out there for a while. Just be sure to start exploring the tide pools BEFORE low tide actually arrives. I think it's best to start an hour before. That way, the water is low when you start, and for a while, it just keeps pulling back and exposing more and more for you. If you wait and start right at low tide, then you are losing ground the whole time.

Unlike the pools I'd been risking my neck to get to, the pools at San Simeon are very accessible. As you can see in the photo below, finding them is as easy as a walk along the beach. Rocks covered in exotic invertabrates just pop up out of the sand every few steps.


For the best views, you do have to brave the icy pacific, at least up to your ankles. If you're afraid of freezing feet, I suggest wearing wet-suit booties...the kind surfers wear...to keep your tootsies toasty. But if you don't have any, go anyway. I find that even bare-footed, I am so engrossed in looking at the marine life...I don't even notice the chilly water. (After the first few moments of shock, anyway.)

The last time we went up there, I started looking for star fish to count, like I always do. But after just a few minutes I gave up. I'd already reached "24" and I'd hardly begun.




The starfish pictured above are the type we see most often around here. They are actually called Sea Stars, not starfish, and this is the species Pisaster Ochraceus. (Thanks for the field guides, Mom!)

This was also an exciting day because I saw my first Bat Star! (Patiria Miniata) As you can see, they are smaller (about 6" instead of 12",) and have short triangular arms rather than the Pisaster's stout tapering arms. After I saw my first one, I saw my second one...then my third and fourth. We even found one upside down on high rock. That didn't seem right, so we turned it over and placed it back in the water. It uncurled and looked okay after that.


After starfish (I mean, sea stars,) my favorite tide pool animals are the anemones. Below are photos of three kinds.

The center shot is of a Green Anemone (Anthopleura sola.) They measure about 2.5 inches across, can be clearly identified by the striped center, and usually do not have others of their kind nearby. (At least, according to my personal observations...they are usually alone...but I am not an expert, I could be totally wrong!)



The top left photo is of Aggregating Anemones (Anthopleura Elegantissima.) All the animals in this colony are clones of each other. Sometimes they are so small, and so encrusted with bits of sand and broken shell, that they just look like a patch of ground...until you look closely and the pattern becomes clear. The photo next to it, on the right, is what they look like partly submerged in the sand. According to my field guide, they can grow as large as the Green Anemones, but the only ones I have seen are about an inch across, or smaller. (Double click on this collage...or any photo in this blog...to see it bigger and in better detail.)

The ones on the bottom are Giant Green Anemones (Anthopleura Xanthogrammica.) They have a solid green inner color that is sometimes amazingly bright. Supposedly, they can grow to be 7 inches across and a foot tall! But I have never seen one wider than about 3 inches. They seem to grow in groups of about 3 to a dozen together. The interesting thing about the ones in these pictures is that they are growing along the side of a rock, rather than in a pool. You can see that gravity is pulling them down towards the sand.They look like they are about to slide right off!



Another nice thing about San Simeon Beach is, it's not crowded at all. We were poking around for at least 30 minutes before we saw anyone else. When we did, it was just a solitary woman, wandering around quietly, peering in pools like we were. At least, she was quiet until she got close enough to talk to us. Then, it turned out she had plenty to say.

Like, "Look! That yellow thing is a sponge."

And, "Don't get too close to that Elephant Seal."

And, very enthusiastically, "This is a Gum Boot Chiton. The largest species of Chiton IN THE WORLD!"


It really was impressively big, about the size of a dinner plate. But, I didn't tell her that it's hard to get excited about the biggest chiton (pronounced kite-un) when you don't know what one is and have never even heard the word before. What I did say was, "What are you...a marine biologist or something?"

I was just joking, but it turned out she really was one! Not only that, she is in charge of the Coastal Discovery Center up at the parking lot. We just happened to be there at the exact time she was taking a break from her office work for a walk on the beach. We were so lucky to run into her!

She helped us see all kinds of things that we wouldn't have noticed on our own. For example, (in the photo above) you can see by the tracks in the sand behind the Gum Boot that it is moving towards the water.

And, once she introduced us to the big chiton, I started spotting smaller examples on my own. Like this one, which I think is a Mossy Chiton (Mopalia Muscosa.) Notice the bearded fringe around the edge of it. We are only seeing about half of the animal, because it is partly covered up by a colony of aggregating anemones.


and this one, which I think is a Troglodyte Chiton (Nuttalina Californica.)

She also told us the name of these pretty multi-colored shells that are lying next to it...but neither I nor my companions from the day can remember what it was. (And I can't find them in my field guide.) She also told us that they used to be used as money...but I can't remember by who!

One of the most amazing things was a wall of rock and sand growing out of the beach...or that's what I thought it was before we looked at it closer. It was actually a colony of Sandcastle Worms (yes, that is what they are really called...or Phragmatopoma Californica.) The worm that lives INSIDE the tubes is a reef-forming polychaete. The tubes are made of grains of sand which it collects from the water with it's tentacles, combined with special underwater glue it produces with its body. The coral-like structure also becomes a home for lots of other animals.



We cannot see the actual worms in this photo, and I didn't see them that day either. I don't know if that red thing OUTSIDE the tubes is a worm or a snake. I was not able to find photos of it in my guide books or on-line. But I DID find pictures of the Sandcastle Worm...so I know this is not one of them.

There were masses of mussels nearby and several anemones nestled inside crevices along the tubes, but the most interesting residents were these little green crabs.


She's really keeping an eye on me!

After exploring the tide pools, we went up to see the Coastal Discovery Center. I'd admired the murals on the outside several times, but never been in because the hours are pretty limited.


They are only open from 10-4 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

So, if you go to San Simeon, try to schedule your visit during those hours. If the tides cooperate, go to the Discover Center before you hit the beach. You'll learn an awful lot of stuff that will make your tide pooling adventures even more interesting.

They even have a "practice wall" where you can get a head start on locating and identifying different animals. (Especially great for kids.)


So for your visit, try to come on a weekend day, when low tide is around 2:00 or 3:00. Visit the center, discuss what you learned over a picnic lunch on the lawn, then go down and explore the pools. You might also have time to walk to the north end of the beach to where the Black-crowned Night Herons hang out. And, of course, you'll want to walk out to the end of the pier to see the view. You can even rent a paddle board or a kayak and head out past the waves. In any event, it's easy to make a full day out of a visit to San Simeon Beach.

While it's tempting to try and combine this trip with a tour of Hearst Castle (right across the road,) a look at the Elephant seals (just a few miles north,) and a hike to Piedras Blancas Lighthouse (just a little bit farther,) I really think it's best to save those things for another time.

You can only have so much fun in one day!