This is a By-the-Wind-Sailor, a species of jellyfish. Like the name suggests, they are propelled by a small sail raised above water, moving wherever the wind takes them. These jellyfish occasionally wash up on beaches in large numbers, especially in the spring after a warmer-than-average winter. Recently, visitors and TPERPers alike have been finding these jellyfish, most of them dead by the time they arrive in the tidepools.

A white substance was found on the rocks at the entrance to the tidepools. Since it was unusual, we asked Ranger Lauren if she knew what it was. Her best guess was salt or other minerals deposited on the rocks.

TPERPer Mary captured a great detailed photo of a two-spot octopus using an iPhone 11. It was found just around the corner to the entrance in zone 1!

TPERP Nathan captured the video below. He was sitting on some rocks eating a snack when he saw something moving in the water. What a surprise!

You can also see more octopus videos, as well as other videos, from the Tidepool videos menu selection.

TPERP Jackie discovered a Red Dorid nudibranch in the tidepools. This is something you could easily miss exploring. There are hundreds of varieties of Nudibranchs. You can see learn about the more common ones in the tidepools in the Ebinder.

A Buoy barnacle, (Dosima fascicularis) also known as a buoy-goose barnacle was recently found by TPERP Warren. This type of barnacle is not as common in our tidepools so this is a nice find.

Take away the ocean (no, please don’t!) and the blue sky and the Coastal Trail starts to look like the surface of Mars.