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China Beach

San Francisco, California · United States

What have people found?

Dense-clumped kelp, little rockweed and owl limpet turn up here more than at our other rock pools. Giant green anemone, ochre sea star and aggregating anemone are the usual finds. ~91 distinct species have been recorded here, across at least 6 years of observations.

What is the best time to visit today?

Download the app to see the 7-day schedule.

Predicted tide from SAN FRANCISCO (Golden Gate), 2.8 kilometers away.

See low tide times at China Beach for the next three days
  1. Sun 15 Nov9:151.1 min the dark21:380.1 m
  2. Mon 16 Nov10:371.0 min the dark22:300.2 m
  3. Tue 17 Nov11:470.9 min the dark23:210.2 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 January and June.

What should you know before visiting?

Parking is about 300 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 China Beach?

Species records from iNaturalist

Giant Green AnemoneAnthopleura xanthogrammica
Ochre Sea StarPisaster ochraceus
Aggregating AnemoneAnthopleura elegantissima
California MusselMytilus californianus
Gooseneck BarnaclePollicipes polymerus
Striped Shore CrabPachygrapsus crassipes
Pacific Sand CrabEmerita analoga
By-the-wind SailorVelella velella
Feather Boa KelpEgregia menziesii
Owl LimpetLottia gigantea
Dungeness CrabMetacarcinus magister
dense-clumped kelpLaminaria sinclairii
RockweedFucus distichus
Little RockweedPelvetiopsis limitata
Black TegulaTegula funebralis
Scan this rock pool on your next visit.

Every organism named, every visit logged to your journal.