Tidepooling is a five-star and two-sea star kind of activity.

Tidepooling? Never heard of it. Do I want to try? Obviously. Without knowing much, I signed up for what sounded like another only-in-Monterey outdoor activity that one has to try. And so it was that last Friday, around 5:45pm, I wasn’t entirely sure why and for what purposes my friend was rushing me to the car, as if every second was precious.

Because it was. According to A Guide to Northern California Tidepooling , put together by Sue Rosenthal , the best places for tidepooling in Monterey County are Point Pinos, Asilomar State Beach and Point Lobos State Reserve. Per a local expert’s suggestion, we went to a small rocky spot between Carmel Beach and Carmel River State Beach with a good view of Monastery Beach. It is hard to judge from the perspective of the first experience, but the spot seemed wonderful for tidepooling—or maybe it’s just that a combination of low expectations and a low tide is a recipe for perfect fun.

The black rocks were slippery, with shell cities, castles and fortresses fully exposed. I saw colonies of mussels like soldiers in dark armour, smaragdine seaweed and pale anemones of indecisive colors, all closed up and ready for the night. But the true delight came with the discovery of a big sea star that had a texture and color of a raspberry and made me squeal with joy. Holy abalone! A few minutes later, I found another meaty sea star—this one was golden. I forced my more experienced but sandal-wearing companion to come and take a look. Sandals or not, he admitted it was well worth it. 

And here’s my piece of wisdom on what made this escapade particularly fun and successful for me—rain boots (now I know why I dragged them with me from the East Coast). Seeing a perfect tiny pool of seawater is one thing, but stepping into one with a nice splash is twice as satisfying—just be careful not to step on any tide pool creatures. 

Also, based on my limited knowledge, sea stars know about people tidepooling in sandals and flip flops and understand those limitations. That’s why they like to hide at the back walls of the rocks, when they can take a little break and rest (organisms here are not as sturdy and cannot tolerate much exposure to the air or sun). High rain boots mean bravery and will take you farther into the secluded underworld habitats and their miracles. For more tidepooling tips, see this guide from the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Tidepooling officially ends with the sunset . If you are planning to stay out a little longer to admire the reflection of the stars in the pools (as advised in John Steinbeck’s The Log from the Sea of Cortez ), I advise you to bring a winter jacket. Otherwise, I declare low tide fall tidepooling a five-star and two-sea stars activity. You got me, Monterey County! Yet another time.