Tide Pools: Little Corona Del Mar

The sea, once it casts it’s spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever – Jacques Cousteau

The sea is intriguing to me. She’s powerful, yet peaceful and calming. She’s vast and dark, and is filled with mystery. Mother Nature at her finest!

If you can’t tell, I love the sea. If you can’t reach me for some reason, I’m probably off the coast, sailing, or underneath the sea, snorkeling or scuba diving. You don’t need to have my obsession to enjoy the ocean and all that’s in it. One of the best ways is through tide pools. Tide pools are tiny ecosystems that are created by the receding tide. The water and thousands of sea life get trapped in these pools until the tide come back in. Southern California is home to a bunch of these tide pools and Little Corona Del Mar has some of the best by far!

Little Corona Del Mar

Little Corona Del Mar Beach is a quick trip down the coast to Newport Beach. The beach is right off Pacific Coast Highway(PCH) on the corner of Ocean Blvd and Poppy Ave. Don’t confuse this with it’s big brother, Corona Del Mar Beach, which is a little more north. Once you’ve found a place to park, make your way down to the beach and start exploring!

 

This is just a few if the things you will find in the tide pools.

The tide pools closest to the entrance are usually filled with fish, hermit crabs, anemone, and lots of regular crabs and sea snails. The sea snails hermit crabs can be super tiny, so be careful when climbing around the rocks.

This guy went fishing in the tide pools for muscles.

The further down the beach you travel, the better the tide pools are. Since they are further away from where you started, they’re usually disturbed less and are filled with everything from starfish to sea slugs and anemone. The anemone have to be the coolest part of the tide pools. Starfish come in at a close second. They both come in so many shapes and sizes, not to mention the different colors!

Such an array of color, It’s amazing

Sea Anemone

Sea Slug!

If you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, the snorkeling in this little area is magnificent. Imagine all the sea life trapped in the tide pools, but no longer inhibited, swimming around, inches from you. It’s amazing and absolutely gorgeous!

Messing around

The Garibaldi……This guy is everywhere!

Last, but not least, we have the beach. We definitely can’t forget about that. The best thing about Little Corona Del Mar is the lack of people. Since it’s a little further south and not as easy to get to (or as well known), the beach isn’t as crowded as beaches of Corona Del Mar. And to top it off, the sunsets are beautiful. The reddish glow from the fading sun looks spectacular when it’s reflecting off the water. It’s a welcome sight after a fun, yet tiring day.

Sunset on the beach

Here are a few tips for when you come visit Little Corona Del Mar 

 1. Check the tide. Can’t explore the tide pools if they’re under the tide. You can check the tide here. 

2. Parking is scarce. The best thing to do is find parking in the surrounding neighborhood and park there. Make sure you check for any signs. 

 3. If you need directions, you can find them here. There is a road way you can walk down on the corner of Ocean Blvd and Poppy Ave. 

Don’t forget to send me your comments below or share with a friend. You can also follow on Facebook.