A vibrant purple and blue sea slug with bright orange spines crawls among brown and pink seaweed in a shallow tide pool.
What is in the Tidepools

What’s in the Tidepools? – March 2026

A dark purple sea urchin with long, sharp spines rests on a rocky ocean floor surrounded by pink and orange coral and seaweed, illuminated by sunlight.

What’s In the Tidepools? – March 2026

(Red Sea Urchin – NPS Photo/D. Orr)

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

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

Enjoy the virtual visit through the tidepools and Cabrillo.

A spiny lobster rests among rocks in shallow water, blending with the brown and gray stones around it.
Spiny Lobster – NPS Photo/VIP Rick A.
A small greenish octopus is camouflaged among wet, smooth rocks in shallow water, with its arms curled around the stones.
Two Spot Octopus – NPS Photo/VIP Tansy W.
Several small crabs cling to wet rocks by a shallow tide pool, surrounded by green algae and moss.
Striped Shore Crabs – NPS Photo/VIP Tansy W.
A bright coastal scene with clear blue sky, gentle ocean waves, rocky shore, and a foreground of green bushes dotted with small yellow flowers.
Scenic View – NPS Photo/VIP Tansy W.
A large marine limpet clings upside down to a rocky surface above shallow water, with its soft, brownish-black body and wide, wavy mantle extending outward.
Giant Keyhole Limpet – NPS Photo/VIP Rick A.
Several harbor seals are lying on sunlit, rocky coastal ledges beside rippling ocean water, with green vegetation along the cliffside in the foreground.
Harbor Seals – NPS Photo/VIP Rick A.
A dark, spiny sea star with five arms lies in a shallow tide pool, surrounded by seaweed, rocks, and patches of green and pink marine algae.
Fragile Rainbow Sea Star – NPS Photo/VIP Rick A.
A small decorator crab camouflaged with seaweed and debris rests in shallow water on a sandy, green algae-covered tide pool floor.
Graceful Decorator Crab – NPS Photo/VIP Warren T.
A small green octopus clings to wet rocks in shallow water, blending in with its textured, bumpy skin for camouflage.
Two Spot Octopus – NPS Photo/VIP Tansy W.
A small octopus is nestled among smooth, multicolored rocks underwater, blending in with its surroundings using its greenish, textured skin.
Two Spot Octopus – NPS Photo/VIP Tansy W.
A small striped crab clings to a wet rock near a tide pool, with barnacles, green algae, and smooth pebbles visible in the shallow water below.
Striped Shore Crab – NPS Photo/VIP Tansy W.
A small crab with dark green and reddish claws hides in a rocky crevice covered in moss and algae, with one claw slightly raised.
Striped Shore Crab – NPS Photo/VIP Tansy W.
A spiny lobster hides among purple seaweed and rocks underwater, with its long antennae and legs visible through the clear, shallow water.
Spiny Lobster – NPS Photo/VIP Tansy W.
Three small, five-petaled flowers with soft pink tips and white centers surround bright yellow cores, set against green leaves and grass in sunlight.
Ground Pink – NPS Photo/VIP Mary R.
A white snowy egret stands at the edge of a shallow, rocky stream, surrounded by green algae and seaweed, with calm water flowing past.
Snowy Egret – NPS Photo/VIP Tansy W.
A close-up of an abalone clinging to a rock crevice, with its rough, fringed mantle visible, surrounded by green and purple seaweed and algae.
Green Abalone – NPS Photo/VIP Tansy W.
A small greenish octopus is camouflaged among smooth, wet rocks in shallow water, with part of its head and a few curled tentacles visible.
Two Spot Octopus – NPS Photo/VIP Tansy W.
A bright coastal scene with yellow wildflowers in the foreground, gentle waves rolling onto a rocky shoreline, and a clear blue sky meeting the calm ocean horizon
Scenic View – NPS Photo/VIP Tansy W.
A tide pool with green and brown seaweed, a white seashell, and a small bright pink sea slug nestled among the darker seaweed.
Hopkins Rose Nudibranch – NPS Photo/VIP Tansy W.
A tiny purple flower with yellow stamens blooms among fuzzy pink buds and small green leaves, surrounded by bright green foliage in sunlight.
Wishbone Bush – NPS Photo/VIP Mary R.
A shiny black giant keyhole limpet clings to rocks in a tide pool, partly shaded, surrounded by small stones and patches of green and yellow algae.
Giant Keyhole Limpet – NPS Photo/VIP Tansy W.
A tide pool with a green sea anemone, a dark snail shell, and patches of brown and green seaweed on rocks, all partially submerged in clear water.
Anemone – NPS Photo/VIP Tansy W.
A textured, pale snail shell rests in shallow water among pink and red seaweed, with sunlight reflecting off the wet surfaces.
Unicorn Snail – NPS Photo/VIP Mary R.
Two oval-shaped chitons cling to a rocky tide pool surface, blending with gray sand and patches of green and brown algae.
Conspicuous Chiton – NPS Photo/VIP Dave O.
A bright orange poppy flower with delicate, cup-shaped petals blooms among green leaves and stems in sunlight.
California Poppy – NPS Photo/VIP Mary R.
A small shrimp with a brown, speckled upper body and a bright green lower body lies on a rough, gray surface. Its antennae and legs are splayed out.
Shrimp – NPS Photo/VIP Mary R.
A bright pink sea slug with long, thin, spiky fronds floats in a tide pool among seaweed and rocks.
Hopkins Rose Nudibranch – NPS Photo/VIP Mary R.
A large, dark sea slug with a rounded body and small ear-like extensions rests among seaweed and seagrass underwater.
Black Sea Hare – NPS Photo/VIP Mary R.
A dark, shiny sea slug with ear-like flaps rests in shallow water among green seagrass and sandy rocks.
Black Sea Hare – NPS Photo/VIP Mary R.
A cluster of small wildflowers with bright yellow blooms and delicate pink-and-white blossoms surrounded by green grass and thin leafy stems.
Common Goldenfields and Ground Pink – NPS Photo/VIP Mary R.
A vibrant purple and blue sea slug with bright orange spines crawls among brown and pink seaweed in a shallow tide pool.
Spanish Shawl Nudibranch – NPS Photo/VIP Jackie T.
A small reddish-orange sea slug with a frilly white tuft on one end lies on wet sand among tiny patches of green algae.
Sea Goddess – NPS Photo/VIP Jackie T.
A small black and white sea slug with speckled patterns lies on wet sand next to a thin green seaweed strand.
Black and White Dorid – NPS Photo/VIP Jackie T.
A bright purple sea urchin with sharp spines rests in a rocky tide pool crevice, surrounded by wet seaweed and barnacle-covered rocks.
Red Sea Urchin – NPS Photo/VIP Jackie T.
Three sea snails with algae-covered shells rest on sandy, shallow water. Long green seagrass strands and a patch of red seaweed add color to the clear, sunlit scene.
Kellets Whelk – NPS Photo/VIP Jackie T.
A small green fish with white spots lies on a sandy surface, its fins spread and tail extended, casting a faint shadow in the sunlight.
Sculpin – NPS Photo/VIP Mary R.
A bright pink sea slug with feathery tentacles rests on a dark rock in a tide pool, surrounded by seaweed and small shells.
Hopkins Rose Nudibranch – NPS Photo/VIP Jackie T.
A large black sea limpet with a smooth, oval, tan shell featuring a small keyhole-shaped opening in the center, resting on wet sandy rock.
Giant Keyhole Limpet – NPS Photo/VIP Jackie T.
A smooth, shiny orange-brown sea snail, likely a cowry, rests on dark wet rocks surrounded by seaweed and small marine growths.
Cowry Snail – NPS Photo/VIP Jackie T.
A small black-spotted sea slug rests in shallow water on sandy ground, with a few strands of green seaweed nearby.
Black and White Dorid – NPS Photo/VIP Jackie T.
A white snowy egret stands on mossy rocks by the water, with its long neck extended and thin yellow legs, surrounded by dark blue tidal pools and scattered seaweed.
Immature Snowy Egret – NPS Photo/VIP Denine H.
A spiny lobster rests in shallow water under a rocky ledge, partly hidden beside a large, dark-shelled keyhole limpet with seaweed and encrusting marine life around them.
Spiny Lobster and Giant Keyhole Limpet – NPS Photo/VIP Denine H.
A vibrant purple sea slug with bright orange spikes hides among brown seaweed and rocky underwater plants.
Spanish Shawl Nudibranch – NPS Photo/VIP Denine H.
Two reddish kelp crabs are partially submerged in clear tide pool water, clinging to each other near a rock covered with seaweed and algae.
Male and Female Kelp Crabs – NPS Photo/VIP Dave O.
A small orange sea slug with a white star-shaped marking crawls on sandy, algae-speckled ground.
Sea Goddess Dorid – NPS Photo/VIP Denine H.
Two spiral sea snails cling to a rocky, algae-covered surface, with one showing a hint of bright orange from its body.
Kellet’s Whelk – NPS Photo/VIP Denine H.
A small yellow sea slug with a round, umbrella-like shape rests on wet sand among green algae and brown seaweed.
Yellow Umbrella Slug – NPS Photo/VIP Dave O.
A small, brownish sea creature with a tube-like shell peeks out from rocky, algae-covered seabed, showing a patterned opening rimmed with white spots.
Wart-necked Piddock – NPS Photo/VIP Dave O.
Underwater scene with a spiny lobster resting on rocks beneath a ledge, surrounded by a school of fish swimming in the background toward a sunlit opening.
Spiny Lobster – NPS Photo/VIP Dave O.
A dark purple sea urchin with long, sharp spines rests on a rocky ocean floor surrounded by pink and orange coral and seaweed, illuminated by sunlight.
Red Sea Urchin – NPS Photo/VIP Dave O.
A bright red crab with large claws is tucked between underwater rocks and sea grass, partially hidden in the sunlight filtering through the water.
Kelp Crab – NPS Photo/VIP Dave O.
A translucent, pale sea slug with long pointed appendages floats in shallow water near patches of dark seaweed.
Opalescent Nudibranch – NPS Photo/VIP Dave O.
A lobster hides in a rocky tide pool surrounded by dark kelp and red seaweed, partially concealed in a crevice under the water’s surface.
Lobster and Kelp Crab – NPS Photo/VIP Dave O.
A large black-and-white patterned limpet with a round keyhole opening rests in shallow water among seaweed and rocks.
Giant Keyhole Limpet – NPS Photo/VIP Dave O.
A white snowy egret with bright yellow feet and a slender black beak walks along mossy rocks at the water’s edge.
Snowy Egret – NPS Photo/VIP Dan W.
A bright red crab lies on green sea grass near a rocky, algae-covered shoreline, partially hidden among the strands.
Kelp Crab – NPS Photo/VIP Dave O.
Two large, rough seashells rest among smooth rocks in shallow water, partly covered in seaweed and algae.
Kellets Whelks – NPS Photo/VIP Dave O.
Three underwater seashells rest on sandy seabed, with red and brown algae growing from them, gently swaying in the clear, shallow water.
Kellets Whelks – NPS Photo/VIP Dave O.
A large, dome-shaped sea snail with a rough brown shell rests on a rocky, shallow seabed surrounded by small stones and seaweed.
Giant Keyhole Limpet – NPS Photo/VIP Dave O.
A camouflaged green abalone clings to a rocky underwater surface, surrounded by reddish and pink seaweed with sunlight filtering through the water.
Green Abalone – NPS Photo/VIP Dave O.
A dark, oval sea snail with a white-ringed hole on top rests among pink coral-like sea plants on the ocean floor.
Giant Keyhole Limpet – NPS Photo/VIP Dave O.
A cormorant stands on a mossy rock in shallow water, wings spread wide to dry, surrounded by seaweed and sunlit ripples.
Cormorant – NPS Photo/VIP Dave O.
A small pink sea creature rests among shiny brown seaweed and yellow bubbles, partially submerged in clear water.
Brooding Anemone – NPS Photo/VIP Dave O.
A dark sea hare blends among wet rocks, seaweed, and colorful marine algae in a tide pool, almost camouflaged against the brown, green, and red surroundings.
Black Sea Hare – NPS Photo/VIP Dave O.
A tide pool with rocks, seaweed, and a long, thin, banded brittle star arm curving through the shallow water.
Banded Brittle Star – NPS Photo/VIP Dave O.
A white snowy egret stands in shallow water among seaweed and moss-covered rocks along a rocky shoreline.
Snowy Egret – NPS Photo/VIP Dan W.
A small bright pink sea slug rests among dark brown seaweed and floating bubbles in a shallow tide pool.
Hopkins Rose Nudibranch – NPS Photo/VIP Dan W.
A brown moray eel peeks out from a rocky, moss-covered crevice, with its head partly submerged in shallow water.
Moray Eel – – NPS Photo/VIP Dave O.

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