Eyes are Watching
Today a man hurried toward the Haystack Rock Awareness Program (HRAP) truck to tell us he'd "found a stingray." Maybe a bat ray? Or a...
Regeneration
Like most schoolkids, I learned that starfish regenerate arms. Recently I read that a severed arm of some species of starfish (or sea...
Stinging Nettle
Today I collected an intact but dead sea nettle jelly, Chrysaora fuscescens, about one mile north of Haystack. The nematocysts of sea...
Octopus Rescue
Today a Haystack Rock visitor pointed out a small octopus stranded in a shrinking pool. Worried that the octopus would get trampled or...
Dendronotus Density Dispatch
Today at Haystack a startling abundance of nudibranchs in the genus Dendronotus appeared. The name Dendronotus is derived from dendrite,...
Cephalopod Alert
At least two cephalopods were sighted today at Haystack. One creature seemed alive though not very active; another was almost certainly...
Smitten with Invertebrates
This is one of four alabaster nudibranchs, Dirona albolineata, I spotted today in the tidepools at Haystack. One of the luminous dragons...
Christmas Present
Today at The Needles a Christmas anemone was present. The sight of this animal's strange coloration in the morning sun was a gift to my...
Skeleton Shrimp
I have a new favorite tidepool creature: skeleton shrimp. I know, I know. You're thinking, "Wait, Steve, your favorite new tidepool...
Lone Survivor
In many hours of searching the tidepools around Haystack Rock I've spotted a single leather star, Dermasterias imbricata, a lone survivor...