Exploring Malibu's Tide Pools

A new favorite family day trip we like to take is exploring the tide pools in Malibu (top photo). The weather has been fabulous lately and over the last couple months, we've made 3 trips on  lazy weekend days to a beach near Zuma. Jake goes online to find out when low tide is - the best time to view all the amazing sea creatures to be found - and we plan our day around that time. Picnic food is packed, sunblock applied and we're off.

I've been to tide pools a lot over the years,  but these really amaze me. If you do your research and know what to look for, you'll be amazed at the wealth of life to be found in these small pools of water. Starfish are by far the most common - gold and purple in color. We also see tons of anemones and mussles, crabs of several different shapes and sizes, spiny sea urchins and the occasional lobster - who is usually already picked clean by the seagulls who are always around.

There are rarer treats to be found, though, if you know what to look for. We've found that Sea Hares (or sea slugs) can be found often, but are easy to overlook as they just look like black blobs of slime. The kids have fun daring each other to touch them - I was brave and gave it a try, it was basically like touching wet goo - like the old slime-in-a-can we used to be able to buy as kids.  By the way, we observe the rules of the tidepools when we visit. We touch some things - like starfish and sea hares - but very gently. We never take anything home and very rarely move anything. The exception being that sometimes I will feel sorry for a starfish that's washed way up and will move it back to the water and away from the beady-eyed seagulls.

One fantastic day we saw a very rare type of sea slug called a Spanish Shawl (amazingly beautiful for what is essentially a colorful sea slug), a Bat Starfish and what I think is a Sheep Crab (very freaky and scary-looking for a crab). This is such a fun activity for us to do as a family and a great trip to be had at a very low price as everyone is watching their budgets these days. 

Photos: Top pic is of the tide pools at low tide in Malibu just north of Paradise Cove, south of Zuma. Second pic is of a purple starfish. Third is a rare sighting of a red bat starfish. Next is of a California Sea Hare, then a fantastic close-up I got of a Spanish Shawl (it's only about an inch or two in length). Last is the Sheep Crab.  Click on any of these photos to see larger images.

Comments

[Mrs. Fuzz]

How I miss the tide pools there! I'm from Camarillo and it seems like we went to Leo Carillo a few times a month. I loved seeing the photos.

[brettdl]

We kept hitting the beach at high tide when in La Jolla last week. We only saw a few crabs and some barnacles. But the kids didn't care. They thought it was cool anyway.

[Blue Velvet]

Beautiful photos Renee.

[Amy Alkon]

Beautiful photos.

[Cindy]

Can someone tell me exactly how to get to this tide pool?

[Renee]

Certainly - but don't tell Officer Jake I told you, he thinks it's his "secret spot." : )

You want to go to the Malibu Zuma beach. From PCH north, take a left on Zuma rd. You can park along the road in the "free" area or proceed through the toll booths to park in the toll lots. The toll lots are nicer to park in, closer to the beach and closer to the tide pools. Now head south on the beach around the point when nearing low tide. As you come around the outcropping of rock you'll be on the beach with the rockin' tide pools. I'll try to find it on the maps and put a link to it here in a bit.

[MegKelso]

WAY COOL!!!

You've put a new Must Do on my list of Things To Do Before I Die.

:)