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Coal Oil Point

Santa Barbara County, California · United States

What have people found?

Kellet's whelk, lesser two-spot octopus and norris's topsnail turn up here more than at our other rock pools. Sunburst anemone, california seahare and wavy turban are the usual finds. ~372 distinct species have been recorded here, across at least 8 years of observations.

What is the best time to visit today?

Download the app to see the 7-day schedule.

See low tide times at Coal Oil Point for the next three days
  1. Sun 15 Novin the dark5:541.1 min the dark20:330.2 m
  2. Mon 16 Nov8:241.1 min the dark21:260.2 m
  3. Tue 17 Nov10:100.9 min the dark22:110.2 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 May.

What should you know before visiting?

Parking is about 400 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 Coal Oil Point?

Species records from iNaturalist

Sunburst AnemoneAnthopleura sola
California SeahareAplysia californica
Wavy TurbanMegastraea undosa
Opalescent NudibranchHermissenda opalescens
By-the-wind SailorVelella velella
Northern Kelp CrabPugettia producta
Spanish ShawlFlabellinopsis iodinea
California MusselMytilus californianus
Norris's TopsnailNorrisia norrisii
Striped Shore CrabPachygrapsus crassipes
Kellet's WhelkKelletia kelletii
California Spiny LobsterPanulirus interruptus
Lesser Two-spot OctopusOctopus bimaculoides
Pyrosoma atlanticumPyrosoma atlanticum
Ochre Sea StarPisaster ochraceus
Scan this rock pool on your next visit.

Every organism named, every visit logged to your journal.