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Carpinteria State Beach

Santa Barbara County, California · United States

What have people found?

British columbia doto, pismo clam and sorcerer's dorid turn up here more than at our other rock pools. California horn snail, wavy turban and spanish shawl are the usual finds. ~277 distinct species have been recorded here.

What is the best time to visit today?

Download the app to see the 7-day schedule.

See low tide times at Carpinteria State Beach for the next three days
  1. Sun 15 Novin the dark5:591.1 min the dark20:280.2 m
  2. Mon 16 Nov8:151.1 min the dark21:200.2 m
  3. Tue 17 Nov10:001.0 min the dark22:050.3 m

Every low tide each day, in local time at the shore.

Plan the week in Intertidal
  • A tide chart for every day, with the best window marked
  • Identify what you find from a photo
  • An alert when a good daylight low is coming

When do people visit?

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Most observations come from May and June.

What should you know before visiting?

Customer parking is about 200 meters away.
Arrive 45 minutes to an hour before low tide and leave as it turns. The water comes back faster than it left.
Grippy shoes beat sandals. Wet rock and algae are more slippery than they look. Rock pool safety
A rock pool is a fragile place. Look and photograph, take nothing. The rockpooling code

What lives at Carpinteria State Beach?

Species records from iNaturalist

California Horn SnailCerithideopsis californica
Wavy TurbanMegastraea undosa
Spanish ShawlFlabellinopsis iodinea
Opalescent NudibranchHermissenda opalescens
Branched DendronotidDendronotus venustus
Striped Shore CrabPachygrapsus crassipes
Sunburst AnemoneAnthopleura sola
Sorcerer's DoridPolycera atra
British Columbia DotoDoto columbiana
Ochre Sea StarPisaster ochraceus
California SeahareAplysia californica
Pacific Sand CrabEmerita analoga
By-the-wind SailorVelella velella
Spotted DoridTriopha maculata
Pismo ClamTivela stultorum
Scan this rock pool on your next visit.

Every organism named, every visit logged to your journal.