January 25

Wednesday, we hiked in the 30-acre, White Point Beach near San Pedro, California on the south end of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The mid afternoon weather was sunny with a temperature of 58 degrees and a steady breeze off the Pacific Ocean. While my wife and Remi remained near the car, I ventured down to the shore where the ebbing tide had exposed massive rock formations as well as created small pools for exploring marine life. Walking gingerly south in the intertidal zone, I spotted one of many Sunburst Anemones clinging to the rocks. These colorful creatures feed by firing harpoon-like filaments into their prey when they touch their tentacles, injecting a paralyzing neurotoxin and guiding them into their mouths. Continuing south, I couldn’t help but notice the parallel layers in the rock below my feet and be awestruck by realizing this was the eroded end of a sedimentary formation that had been laid down millions of years ago, been uplifted and folded by tremendous geological forces and now lay exposed on this beach. Also, I could see that lots of this rock surface was covered with reddish Coralline Algae. Just off shore, a pair of perching Gulls caught my eye. Continuing to explore this unique habitat, I spotted some coral-like masses made by Honeycomb Worms. This reef-forming polychaete has a head crowned by spines and numerous feathery tentacles that are used to trap plankton. Further along, I observed a few 1-inch, encrusted Abalone shells as well as many Kelp stems with their characteristic gas bladders clinging to rocks and floating in pools. Finally, I turned around, retraced my steps to the car and paused one more time to take in this scenic landscape before heading back to Redondo Beach.

Ocean recedes

Ebb the tide

Shallow pools

Creatures reside

Anemones

Tiny crabs

Clinging algae

Rocky slabs

Water returns

Tidal flow

Another cycle

Nature’s show

D. DeGraaf