White U.S. Park Ranger SUV parked at sunset with a large tree and colorful sky in the background.
What is in the Tidepools

What’s in the Tidepools? – December 2025

Bright pink sea slug with long, flowing tentacles on green and brown underwater plants.

What’s In the Tidepools? – December 2025

(Kelp Crab – NPS Photo/M. Rose)

Here is a sampling of what our volunteers observed during the month — thank you to everyone who contributed. The nudibranchs are out in force. Remember to send in your photos; we truly appreciate sharing them with everyone.

We are in King Tides season so capture those photos and enjoy.

Don’t forget to visit the Tidepool Videos page and our YouTube page.

Enjoy the virtual visit through the tidepools.

Small camouflaged crab among red seaweed, with fingers visible for scale in clear water.
Spined Kelp Crab – NPS Photo/D. Wieder
A dense cluster of sandy, honeycomb-like worm tubes attached to a rocky seaside surface.
Sandcastle Worms – NPS Photo/D. Wieder
Orange-tipped nudibranch on reddish-brown seaweed under shallow water.
Opalescent Nudibranch – NPS Photo/D. Wieder
Mussels covered in barnacles and small marine life, clustered tightly on a rocky surface.
Mussels – NPS Photo/D. Wieder
A dark, leathery egg case (mermaid’s purse) on wet sand, surrounded by seaweed.
Mermaid’s Purse – NPS Photo/D. Wieder
Cone-shaped marine mollusk with a smooth shell and a soft, brown body on wet rocks.
Keyhole Limpet – NPS Photo/D. Wieder
Cluster of small spiral seashells on wet sand, partly underwater with bits of seaweed.
Hermit Crabs – NPS Photo/D. Wieder
Cluster of small dark snails and a larger limpet on a sandy rock with some barnacles nearby.
Limpets – NPS Photo/M. Rose
White U.S. Park Ranger SUV parked at sunset with a large tree and colorful sky in the background.
Sunset at the Park – NPS Photo/M. Rose
A marine snail shell with brown patterns on a rocky surface covered in algae and small sea life.
Mexican turbo snail – NPS Photo/M. Rose
Cluster of small, dark limpets attached to a wet rock, with some seaweed on the right side.
Limpets – NPS Photo/M. Rose
Close-up of a marine mollusk with a textured shell and central opening on a rocky surface.
Keyhole Limpet – NPS Photo/M. Rose
Blue starfish with purple spots nestled among rocks, sand, and small snails in a tide pool.
Knobby Sea Star – NPS Photo/M. Rose
Two sea snails on a rocky surface with green algae and reddish-brown seaweed nearby.
Kellet’s Whelk & Wavy Turban Snail – NPS Photo/M. Rose
Bright pink sea slug with finger-like projections, lying among green underwater plants.
Hopkins Rose Nudibranch – NPS Photo/M. Rose
Green sea anemone and bright pink sea slug in a tide pool with seaweed and seagrass.
Anemone & Hopkins Rose Nudibranch – NPS Photo/D. Wieder
A reddish-purple crab in a rocky tide pool, surrounded by seaweed and shallow water.
Globose Kelp Crab – NPS Photo/M. Rose
A colorful bluish-orange sea slug, likely a nudibranch, is visible underwater near plants.
Spanish Shawl – NPS Photo/D. Orr
Slender fish with a pointed head lying on coarse, sandy beach with tiny shell fragments.
Grunion – NPS Photo/M. Rose
Bright pink sea slug with long, flowing tentacles on green and brown underwater plants.
Hopkins Rose Nudibranch – NPS Photo/M. Rose
Small silvery fish with big eye lying on coarse, sandy ground, body slightly curved.
Grunion – NPS Photo/M. Rose
Red crab with a broken claw among wet seaweed and rocks in a tide pool.
Globose Kelp Crab – NPS Photo/M. Rose
Stone statue of a man in old attire with a cross behind, overlooking water and a city at dusk.
Cabrillo Statue – NPS Photo/M. Rose
Bright green sea anemone with short tentacles nestled between rocks underwater.
Anemone – NPS Photo/M. Rose
Gray sea anemone with shells and seaweed wedged between rocks and pebbles in shallow water.
Anemone- NPS Photo/M. Rose
Two bright green sea anemones in a tide pool, surrounded by rocks and seaweed.
Anemone – NPS Photo/M. Rose
A rough, brown oval shell with small holes, partly covered in sand on a rocky surface.
Abalone – NPS Photo/M. Rose
Open oyster in shallow water, surrounded by seaweed and aquatic plants.
Wavy Turban Snail – NPS Photo/D. Hunt
Green sea anemone with tentacles in a tide pool among rocks and purple seaweed.
Anemone – NPS Photo/M. Rose
Yellow, bumpy sea sponge on a sandy rock, surrounded by brown and green marine algae.
Sea Bubble- NPS Photo/D. Hunt
A dark, spotted sea slug with blue and orange edges on wet sand near seaweed.
Navanax- NPS Photo/D. Hunt
Stone statue in medieval attire overlooking a cityscape at dusk with a full moon behind it.
Cabrillo Statue – NPS Photo/M. Rose
Large sea snail with orange tissue, wedged in rocks, surrounded by wet pebbles and seaweed.
Keyhole Limpet – NPS Photo/D. Hunt
Lobster hiding under a rocky ledge in clear shallow water, blending in with stones and shadows.
Spiny Lobster – NPS Photo/D. Orr
A large spiral fossil embedded in rocks, surrounded by seaweed and marine plants.
Keyhole Limpet- NPS Photo/D. Hunt
A small shark wedged between rocky, algae-covered surfaces in shallow tide pool water.
Keyhole Limpet – NPS Photo/D. Hunt
A round hole in a rock with a marine creature inside, surrounded by seaweed and barnacles.
Conspicuous Chiton – NPS Photo/D. Hun
Lobsters with long antennae in shallow water, surrounded by seaweed and rocks.
Spiny Lobsters – NPS Photo/D. Hunt
Brown shrimp-like creature with long legs and antennae on sandy seabed, near a rock.
Red Rock Shrimp – NPS Photo/D. Orr
Bright purple and orange nudibranch in shallow water, surrounded by plants and bubbles.
Spanish Shawl – NPS Photo/D. Orr
Red shrimp with white bands, mostly hidden among seagrass in shallow, clear water.
Red Banded Transparent Shrimp – NPS Photo/D. Orr
Underwater rock with a large beige sponge surrounded by seaweed and algae.
Keyhole Limpet – NPS Photo/D. Orr
Blue and spotted sea slug on dark seaweed, underwater with rocks and algae visible.
Opalescent Nudibranch – NPS Photo/D. Orr
Translucent nudibranch with white markings on a sandy, plant-filled tide pool floor.
Opalescent Nudibranch – NPS Photo/D. Orr
Cream oval sea creature with black edge and dark spot, nestled among rocks and seaweed.
Keyhole Limpet & Hopkins Rose Nudibranch – NPS Photo/D. Orr
Pink sea anemone with long tentacles on a rocky surface, with a thin, brown marine creature nearby.
Hopkins Rose Nudibranch – NPS Photo/D. Orr
Thin, striped marine creature blends in among sand, rocks, seaweed, and algae in a tide pool.
Banded Brittle Star – NPS Photo/D. Orr
Bright red sea anemone among brown seaweed and bubbles in a shallow tide pool.
Brooding Anemone – NPS Photo/D. Orr
A large abalone tucked under a rocky ledge at the shoreline, surrounded by wet sand and sea life.
Green Abalone – NPS Photo/D. Orr
Red crab in shallow water. Circular ripples are in the water surrounding the crab.
Kelp Crab – NPS Photo/D. Orr
Underwater nudibranch with a blue-white back and dark, spiky appendages near seaweed and rocks.
Hilton’s Aeolid Nudibranch – NPS Photo/D. Hunt
Bright pink sea slug (nudibranch) on sand and rocks in a shallow, clear tidepool.
Hopkins Rose Nudibranch – NPS Photo/D. Hunt
Large black sea slug in a tide pool, near reddish seaweed and sand.
Black Sea Hare – NPS Photo/D. Hunt
A black abalone nestled in a rocky tide pool, surrounded by seaweed and orange encrusting sponge.
Keyhole Limpet – NPS Photo/D. Orr
A spotted sea slug among green sea grass underwater, with light reflecting off the water’s surface.
Navanax – NPS Photo/D. Orr
A colorful spotted sea slug with blue, yellow, and white markings on seaweed underwater.
Navanax – Photo/Peter (Visitor)
Pink sea slug with feathery, dark-tipped appendages and two long translucent head tentacles.
Fighting Nudibranch – Photo/Peter (Visitor)
A pink flower floating on clear water, surrounded by long green underwater plants.
Hopkins Rose Nudibranch – NPS Photo/D. Orr
Translucent sea creature with yellow center and wing-like fins on wet sand, next to seaweed.
Buoy Barnacle – NPS Photo/D. Orr
Yellow sea slug in shallow water on rocks, surrounded by algae, with a finger at the edge.
San Diego Dorid – NPS Photo/D. Orr

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