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Gerstle Cove State Marine Reserve

Sonoma County, California · United States

What have people found?

White-spotted rose anemone, flame lined chiton and noble dorid turn up here more than at our other tide pools. Ochre sea star, bat star and giant green anemone are the usual finds. ~213 distinct species have been recorded here, across at least 8 years of observations.

What is the best time to visit today?

Download the app to see the 7-day schedule.

Predicted tide from Green Cove, 11.3 miles away.

See low tide times at Gerstle Cove State Marine Reserve for the next three days
  1. Sun, Nov 158:04 AM3.2 ftin the dark9:26 PM0.3 ft
  2. Mon, Nov 169:39 AM3.1 ftin the dark10:13 PM0.5 ft
  3. Tue, Nov 1711:12 AM2.8 ftin the dark10:58 PM0.7 ft

Every low tide each day, in local time at the shore.

Plan the week in Intertidal
  • A tide chart for every day, with the best window marked
  • Identify what you find from a photo
  • An alert when a good daylight low is coming

When do people visit?

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Most observations come from June and July.

What should you know before visiting?

Parking is about 500 feet away.
Arrive 45 minutes to an hour before low tide and leave as it turns. The water comes back faster than it left.
Grippy shoes beat sandals. Wet rock and algae are more slippery than they look. Tide pool safety
A tide pool is a fragile place. Look and photograph, take nothing. The tidepooling code

What lives at Gerstle Cove State Marine Reserve?

Species records from iNaturalist

Ochre Sea StarPisaster ochraceus
Bat StarPatiria miniata
Giant Green AnemoneAnthopleura xanthogrammica
Pacific Purple Sea UrchinStrongylocentrotus purpuratus
Striped Shore CrabPachygrapsus crassipes
Gumboot ChitonCryptochiton stelleri
Aggregating AnemoneAnthopleura elegantissima
Gooseneck BarnaclePollicipes polymerus
Red Sea UrchinMesocentrotus franciscanus
White-spotted Rose AnemoneCribrinopsis albopunctata
Flame Lined ChitonTonicella lokii
Noble DoridPeltodoris nobilis
California MusselMytilus californianus
Monterey DoridDoris montereyensis
Black TegulaTegula funebralis
Scan this tide pool on your next visit.

Every organism named, every visit logged to your journal.