Cape Kiwanda Tide Pools

On the south side of Cape Kiwanda, old sea floor basalt pillows house all sorts of critters in their nooks and crannies. These particular tide pools are well-loved, and probably over-loved, as most of the barnacles have been worn off the top of the rocks by scrambling feet. But the sides and underhangs are doing fine, covered extravagantly buy mussels, starfish, snails, anenomes, seaweed...

I found one starfish squeezing some mussels like a hand. It's popping the shell, and if I remember right, the starfish's stomach comes out of the "palm" and digests the mussel muscle(sorry, couldn't resist!).
Of course it was the "worst" time of day to take pictures--high noon--but I had fun experimenting to see how attempt to balance the deep shadows and over exposed sunny parts. I liked the shapes made by reflections and light and shadows on the water and the textures of the rock covered with living things.
The anenomes are balled up tight against the sun and drying wind. They are the olive green ball-shaped things with bits of shell which they "grab" (somehow!) to camoflage themselves. The same kind are open in the water below.
Most of the "good" tide pool spots--by that I mean a big area with deep creviced rock in an easily accessible popular beach(in the end they're all fun!)--have either naturalists or rangers, or at least signs to show people how to explore tidepools without damaging them. So generally people are careful, and the tidepools remain naturally wonderful.

I can't wait to go back on a cloudy day!

PS click on the pix for the detail! ;0)