Snorkeling the Intertidal: Sea Stars, Octopus & Sea Slugs

Good morning. So, I'm really excited because I thought it was going to be terrible weather, but it's looking really, really beautiful today. So, I'm going to take advantage of it and go up the coast, swim, and go taekwondo. I have my basket with everything I need, some food, and my bag with my wetsuit, just in case I want to snuggle. I actually think the worst part about getting in is having my ears really cold, so a hood is pretty necessary, I think. It will be worth it. It will be worth it. I want to sleep quite warm now, but that's going to change very, very soon, as soon as I get this far. But you know what? That's what life's about. Go exploring. This space between the tides is constantly changing. It's exposed to air one moment and completely underwater the next, and yet it's flourishing with life. I came across several types of sea stars today. This ochre star is rough with bumpy skin. I also saw a leather star, which is my favorite sea star. It's softer and almost velvety. And then the bat star, which has webbed arms, more textured. They all look very different, but they move in quite a similar way, using thousands of tiny tube feet beneath their bodies to glide across rocks. And I try to appreciate them with only my eyes, not my hands. I just found such a beautiful sea slug, and I want to show you. These shell-less marine molluscs are called nudibranchs, which literally mean naked gills. They're often small enough to miss if you're not looking closely, but once you train your eyes, they're everywhere. Each species feeds on something very specific. Sponges, hydroids, anemones. And many of them can incorporate the toxins or stinging cells of their prey into their own tissues for defense. Their bright colors are also not meant to hide. It's a warning. They're slow-moving, soft-bodied, and surprisingly specialized. They're reminders that even the smallest organisms play very particular roles in maintaining balance here in the intertidal. They tend to appear when I'm not looking closely. At first, I noticed sand drifting out from a crevice in a rock. This small, red, eastern Pacific octopus was tucked in beneath a rock, curled into herself. Octopuses are incredibly intelligent. Their skin contains specialized pigment cells that allows them to change color and texture almost instantly. Not to just blend in, but it also is to communicate and respond to their environment. It's not just camouflage, it's awareness. I gently place my finger near them, not to grab, not to disturb them, but to give them the chance to interact. This place is so beautiful, but it's also vulnerable. Every rock is someone's shelter, and exposed animals are waiting for the tide to return. I try to move slowly, watch my step, and leave things exactly how I find them, because this space isn't for me. I'm just a visitor, lucky enough to witness it in between the tides. Now, all of a sudden, when I got here, it was super gray and super cold, but I managed to commit to my plan and snorkel through the tide pools, and now I got out, and it's sunny and warm, and the wind died? I don't know. But that's what I get for taking risks and doing it anyways, because... YOLO! Thanks for coming with me and exploring. I hope you were able to learn something new. See you next time.