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La Jolla Tide Pools

San Diego County, California · United States

What have people found?

Cockscomb nudibranch, olive's aeolid and colorful dirona turn up here more than at our other tide pools. Opalescent nudibranch, spotted dorid and striped shore crab are the usual finds. ~501 distinct species have been recorded here, across at least 10 years of observations.

What is the best time to visit today?

Download the app to see the 7-day schedule.

See low tide times at La Jolla Tide Pools for the next three days
  1. Sun, Nov 15in the dark4:51 AM3.3 ftin the dark7:59 PM0.7 ft
  2. Mon, Nov 167:33 AM3.4 ftin the dark8:57 PM0.8 ft
  3. Tue, Nov 179:38 AM3.0 ftin the dark9:46 PM0.9 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 May and June.

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 La Jolla Tide Pools?

Species records from iNaturalist

Opalescent NudibranchHermissenda opalescens
Spotted DoridTriopha maculata
Striped Shore CrabPachygrapsus crassipes
Salt-and-pepper DorisAegires albopunctatus
Sunburst AnemoneAnthopleura sola
White-spotted Sea GoddessDoriopsilla albopunctata
Sorcerer's DoridPolycera atra
Hopkins' Rose NudibranchCeratodoris rosacea
cockscomb nudibranchAntiopella barbarensis
Olive's AeolidAnteaeolidiella oliviae
Branched DendronotidDendronotus venustus
Colorful DironaDirona picta
Stearns' AeolidAustraeolis stearnsi
California SeahareAplysia californica
Red Sponge DoridRostanga pulchra
Scan this tide pool on your next visit.

Every organism named, every visit logged to your journal.