Yesterday was a minus tide on the Mendocino coast. Basically this means the tide level is below the "normal average" low tide and yesterday it was almost 2 feet lower. This happens when the sun and moon are opposite each other with the earth roughly in the middle.
It was at it's lowest yesterday just after dawn on a clear sunny morning. I was able to get down to the beach in time to see a whole different world revealed. The sheer abundance of life that gets exposed at these times is overwhelming, with all kinds of little prehistoric-looking life forms scurrying around in the exposed caves and in the tide pools. Hundreds of different types of plants and seaweeds and rocks of every color. It occurred to me that it is like discovering a work of art for the first time, where you get to look into all the nooks and crannies and discover that there is much more to the world than the lives we lead. Here are some (not great) photos from yesterday:
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| Normally under about 8ft of water...very slippery! |
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| This beach is usually inaccessible |
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| Here you can see the "normal" water line on the rocks |
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| The rocks show as red when exposed...not sure why |
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| This bit of sand is getting a little muddy |
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| Here's the beach we hardly ever see! |
I liked your normal pictures....just someone who appreciates without having to know all the science of it all. Liking without having to be brilliant about it. Just sharing. Thanks.
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