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Dana Point

Orange County, California · United States

What have people found?

Banded tegula, golden rockweed and black seahare turn up here more than at our other tide pools. Sunburst anemone, california mussel and ochre sea star are the usual finds. ~254 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.

Predicted tide from Newport Bay Entrance, Corona del Mar, 14 miles away.

See low tide times at Dana Point for the next three days
  1. Sun, Nov 15in the dark5:05 AM3.3 ftin the dark8:07 PM0.7 ft
  2. Mon, Nov 167:43 AM3.4 ftin the dark9:04 PM0.8 ft
  3. Tue, Nov 179:42 AM3.1 ftin the dark9:51 PM0.8 ft

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 March and October.

What should you know before visiting?

Parking is about 800 feet 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. Tide pool safety
A tide pool is a fragile place. Look and photograph, take nothing. The tidepooling code

What lives at Dana Point?

Species records from iNaturalist

Sunburst AnemoneAnthopleura sola
California MusselMytilus californianus
Ochre Sea StarPisaster ochraceus
Blueband Hermit CrabPagurus samuelis
Bat StarPatiria miniata
Striped Shore CrabPachygrapsus crassipes
golden rockweedSilvetia compressa
Feather Boa KelpEgregia menziesii
California SeahareAplysia californica
Owl LimpetLottia gigantea
Black SeahareAplysia vaccaria
Giant Keyhole LimpetMegathura crenulata
Pink Volcano BarnacleTetraclita rubescens
Banded TegulaAgathistoma eiseni
Gooseneck BarnaclePollicipes polymerus
Scan this tide pool on your next visit.

Every organism named, every visit logged to your journal.