Happy 30th birthday! Today, November 9, 2026, we’re celebrating three decades of the Tidepool Protection, Education and Restoration Program (TPERP) at Cabrillo National Monument. After a few studies showed our tidepools had struggled over the previous 20 years, the program was born. Let’s hear from former Superintendent Terry DiMattio about why TPERP started back in 1996. I usually do not write about a single topic, … Continue reading Happy Birthday TPERP!
(High Tide – NPS Photo/Charlotte W.) Our tidepool season has started, although with El Niño, there haven’t been great low tides yet. But we do have some interesting photos this month. Congregating isopods, while unusual at the tidepool entrance, may be a defensive move when they detect a drastic change in barometric pressure, such as when a tropical storm is approaching, when Tropical Storm Rachel … Continue reading What’s in the Tidepools? – October 2026
Last month we reported on weirdness in the tidepools due to effects from El Niño. We have a followup to that post along with a warning for volunteers and visitors. Yesterday (10/26), TPERP Denine spotted something blue in the water at the Zone1/2 boundary. At first she thought it as a Velella Velella, But as she got closer she saw that it wasn’t a Velella … Continue reading More Weirdness and Warning from El Niño
(Cabrillo Coastal Area – NPS Photo/Carmen A.) As we prepare to start our tidepool season, here are a few photos from the past few months. You will find some photos of baby gulls that VIP Ben took with his spotting scope. You will see some images that VIP Rick captured (actually his brother), of the Glowing Fireworms at Mission Bay on a tour that VIP … Continue reading What’s in the Tidepools? – Summer 2026
Thanks to VIP Beth G., we now have online newsletters from Cabrillo from the mid 90’s and early 2000’s. Beth, has kept a hard copy of the newsletters that Cabrillo National Monument and the Cabrillo National Monument Foundation published for staff and volunteers. These have now been scanned and you can enjoy learning about Cabrillo’s recent history (last 30 years), on the VIPVoice. You can … Continue reading Step Back in Time
Effects from El Niño are starting to feel like events from Jumanji. With the strongest El Niño on record, southern California is starting to have some unusual observations. Kelvin Waves You may not have heard about Kelvin waves, but the thing to know is they will be bringing higher surf and possibly raising sea level by 6-12 inches. These waves and other effects from El … Continue reading Kelvin Waves, Sea Turtles and Snakes, Oh My!
