Crescent City rocky intertidal

The northern-most significant stretch of rocky coastline in California borders the small sleepy town of Crescent City. Last week offered some excellent early morning low tides, so of course part of the Pacific Northwest vacation needed to be scheduled around a few coastal adventures.

Pebble Beach area, Crescent City, exposed at low tide.

The Crescent City coastline consists of a long stretch of boulders (small and large) punctuated with offshore rocks and seastacks. At low tide the intertidal life is rich, especially abundant with red seaweeds. One of the species occurring distinctively here is the small peltate red alga Constantinea simplex. It grows in the low intertidal, mushroom-shaped, along vertical rock faces.

Every visit to the intertidal reveals some treasures - often new species or observations. Some highlights from this low tide excursion:

- a bright orange sea cucumber, unknown species

- a low intertidal pool with a long orange nemerteam worm, some bashful large sculpins, and little orange cup corals (Ballanophyllia elegans)

- abundant Desmarestia munda

- yellow dorid nudibranchs and a few other species

The early morning tide was quite low and the wind and sea were calm - perfect conditions for exploring the low intertidal.

A gray-blue species of sculpin in a shaded shallow intertidal pool.

The orange cup coral, Balanophyllia elegans.

Dermasterias imbricata.

Unidentified sea cucumber.