Explore Capitola’s Winter Wonderland

By Maggie Caldwell

According to current tide charts, December 2 – 7, 18 – 23, and again January 1 – 6, afternoon low tides will be low enough for you to explore the normally sea-covered expanses: one between New Brighton Beach and the Capitola Jetty and the other stretching west of the Capitola Wharf all the way to Pleasure Point.

December’s minus tides provide a perfect window for exploring the tiny tidepools tucked into Capitola’s marine terraces. You can see sandpipers and snowy egrets foraging among the sea grasses, hermit crabs sporting their new olive shells or top shells –   – anemones, mussels, chitons, limpets, barnacles, and hermit crabs cling to the rocks – it truly is a wonderland of life. Don’t forget to look, up, too – there’s an amazing fossil record in the cliffs between New Brighton and Capitola.

Here are a few important precautions:

• Wear shoes. Rocks are slick and sharp.
• Don’t go exploring if there’s heavy surf.
• Know what time the tide will start coming back in.
• Don’t go exploring after dark.