A bright green sea anemone with shell fragments clinging to its tentacles rests on wet sand among seaweed and small rocks in a tide pool.
Cabrillo, What is in the Tidepools

What’s in the Tidepools? – April 2026

A small, reddish-orange sea slug lies on coarse, sandy ground. Its body is oval with a textured center and a tiny flower-like shape near one end.

What’s In the Tidepools? – April 2026

(Yellow Gilled Sea Goddess – NPS Photo/Rick A.)

Here is a sampling of what our volunteers observed during the final month of this tidepool season — 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 brown moray eel rests partially submerged in shallow water, nestled between moss-covered rocks with its head and upper body visible.
Moray Eel – NPS Photo/VIP Mary R.
Two colorful sea slugs with dark bodies, orange spots, and blue edges are crawling closely together on algae-covered rocks in shallow water near a shoe tip.
Mating Navanex – NPS Photo/VIP Dave O.
A small, bright orange sea slug with a bumpy texture sits on coarse, multicolored sand and tiny shell fragments.
Spotted Sea Godess Dorid – NPS Photo/VIP Dave O.
A small, orange sea anemone with delicate, spiky tentacles sits on wet sand near scattered shells and small pebbles in a shallow tide pool.
Brooding Anemone – NPS Photo/VIP Rick A.
A small black flatworm with white and orange stripes glides over yellowish-brown seaweed underwater.
Black Striped Flatworm – NPS Photo/VIP Dave O.
A red-tailed hawk perches on the black railing of a lighthouse balcony against a clear blue sky.
Red Tailed Hawk – NPS Photo/VIP Mary R.
Hopkins Rose Nudibranch Alt Text: A bright pink sea slug with spiky fronds rests on rocks in a tide pool, surrounded by golden-brown seaweed and patches of pink algae.
Hopkins Rose Nudibranch – NPS Photo/VIP Dave O.
A camouflaged abalone shell lies underwater, covered in green and brown algae, blending with the sandy, rocky seabed and surrounded by thin strands of seaweed.
Abalone – NPS Photo/VIP Rick A.
A small, bright orange sea anemone with layered tentacles is attached to a rock covered in greenish-yellow algae and tiny marine growths underwater.
Brooding Anemone – NPS Photo/VIP Dave O.
A small, reddish-orange sea slug lies on coarse, sandy ground. Its body is oval with a textured center and a tiny flower-like shape near one end.
Yellow-gilled Sea Goddess – NPS Photo/VIP Rick A.
A ridged, spiral seashell lies on wet sand surrounded by green and brown seaweed. Its surface has wavy stripes and muted shades of tan, gray, and green.
Kellets Whelk – NPS Photo/VIP Mary R.
A brown moray eel with mottled dark spots pokes its head from the water among rocks and seaweed, mouth slightly open and eye visible.
Moray Eel – NPS Photo/VIP Mary R.
A single pale sea anemone rests in a shallow tide pool surrounded by rocks and small shells, with clear water revealing sandy and rocky textures beneath.
Solitary Anemone – NPS Photo/VIP Rick A.
A bright green sea anemone with shell fragments clinging to its tentacles rests on wet sand among seaweed and small rocks in a tide pool.
Solitary Anemone – NPS Photo/VIP Mary R.
A bright orange, bumpy sea sponge lies underwater on sandy seabed, surrounded by brown seaweed and thin green seagrass strands.
Fused Orange Social Ascidian – NPS Photo/VIP Rick A.
A large abalone shell is wedged between mossy, barnacle-covered rocks on a sandy beach with bits of seaweed and small black stones nearby.
Abalone – NPS Photo/VIP Rick A.

Added Bonus – Ice Anemone?

My daughter who lives in Oklahoma, sent me this screenshot she captured from the local news station. It’s tornado season out there and one of the outputs from those thunderstorms is large hail. However, in this photo, not only is the hail stone quite large, it also looks like an anemone.

Nature is strange, weird and full of surprises.

A hand holds a large, round piece of hail with a textured, flower-like pattern, indoors on a carpeted floor with two blurred people in the background.
Hail Stone from Oklahoma

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