King Tides are here—and your chance to contribute to science.

King Tides are here, meaning high highs and low lows, making for a dramatic effect along the coast.

At low tide, you can expect excellent tidepooling opportunities—but be sure to be aware of your surroundings and cautious about protecting the organisms you are there to admire.

At high tide, you can expect to see some waterfront areas disappear entirely. (For tide tables, scroll down.) 

It's the latter that is the motivation behind the California Coastal Commission's King Tide Project, and you're invited to participate. The citizen science initiative invites you to choose a location on an interactive map, then plan to be out there (safely, aware of your surroundings and potential big waves) to take photographs and/or videos of the high highs. 

While King Tides themselves are unrelated to climate change, the Coastal Commission notes they can a helpful window into what rising sea levels might look like. (These highest tides of the year, by a margin of a foot or two, are quite dramatic, and so is the forecast for sea level rise. By 2050, the median sea level on the California coast is expected to rise between -.8 feet and 1.2 feet, and by 2100 to between 3.1 feet and 6.6 feet.)

"When you observe the King Tides, imagine seeing these tides (and the associated flooded streets, beaches, and wetlands) every day," according to the Coastal Commission. "Understanding what a King Tide looks like today will help us plan for future sea level rise."

The King Tides are forecast to occur on Dec. 4-5, and again on Jan. 2-3, 2026. (The tides will still be quite dramatic outside of the two-day window.) From 9-11am Saturday, Dec. 6, California State Parks host a free event at Asilomar Conference Grounds inviting the public to watch the waves, learn about King Tides from a parks interpreter and learn about ocean safety from a lifeguard, all while sipping hot coffee and tea.