Do you like those nature shows on TV? Well, you’re in luck because we’re about to have an incredible show right here, live in Aptos! California King tides are coming back to Santa Cruz and Monterey before the end of this year. Get ready to hit the beach and watch this exceptional natural phenomena, and it’s something you won’t want to miss.
The so-called Kind Tides happens naturally now and again. They are the highest tides that occur when the Earth, moon and sun are aligned at their closest points. The result is the largest tidal range seen over the course of the year. The flip side is a very low tide as sea levels rise. Tidal events such as the King tides push seawater further inland.
King Tide are predicted to happen in Monterey Bay on December 22nd/23rd and on January 21st/22nd 2019. Make sure to put it on your calendar so you don’t miss it!
King Tide Activities
#1: Walk the Coastline
At the beginning of this year, my wife and I decided to take the kids to explore the tide pools exposed by the super low tide. I made a blog entry about it, you can read it here: walk at King Tide on New Year’s Day.
The King Tide hike was part of America’s State Parks’ movement known as “First Day Hikes,” with more than 80 hikes and other outings planned throughout all 50 states for New Year’s Day. On New Year’s Day, two wildlife interpreters from Seacliff State Beach led a public walk from New Brighton State Beach to Capitola Beach.
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When the strip of beach between New Brighton and Capitola is accessible walkers get a unique experience in nature viewing. A number of different tide pools are revealed along the sandy, rocky route — people get a rare chance to view and document various inhabitants and species.
It is so unique. You can check out countless sea anemones and hermit crabs, or starfish. Many people were able to find them very easily. However, on our last visit we couldn’t find any starfish, alas. Some folks even saw an octopus darting between the rocks!
#3: Find the Fossils
In addition, remnants of the natural history of Santa Cruz County’s coastline were exposed during the low tides, including many fossils — some millions of years old. One impressive sight only seen during a negative or king tide is the 5-million-year-old fossil of a whale backbone, embedded permanently in the shoreline.
This phenomenal natural show gives people a glimpse of what daily tides may look like in the future due to sea level rise, if we think about climate change.
The best places to view the king tides are in Watsonville: at Palm Beach State Park and the last mile of Watsonville Slough, as well as Elkhorn Slough.
So, make sure to check it out and feel free to post it in our instagram or Facebook page Aptos Community News!
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The Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks have announced that they are working with the Advocates for the Forest of Nisene Marks and California State Parks to help keep the dust off the Nisene Marks fire road.
Last year the Forest of Nisene Marks Advisory Committee, comprised of the three organizations, worked to fund the re-grading of the fire road from the entrance kiosk to the Steel Bridge, put down 500 tons of new base rock and coated the road with Dust Off. Dust Off is an environmentally safe dust suppression solution.
Maintaining the road this summer is projected to cost $14,500, which will be funded by the Advocates and Friends. The Advocates have embarked on a fundraising campaign to help fund the project. To date, the Advocates have raised $3,000. For more information or to make a donation, please visit www.advocatesfnm.org.
The wall itself is not public property, and the memorials placed on the wall appear to violate several California civil codes. A private property owner has complained; it is unclear at this time who. The memorials on the wall are to be removed within 60 days, although the California State Parks may come up with an alternative solution.
Supervisor Zach Friend has suggested nothing should be done before the public has had a chance to give their input. Concerned citizens are encouraged to contact Supervisor Friend directly.
An on-line petition has been created to save the memorial wall, with a goal of obtaining 5,000 signatures by August 31.
KSBW News and the Santa Cruz Sentinel are now reporting that the party responsible for ordering the memorials be removed is indeed the owner of the home adjacent to the wall, and on whose property the wall is built. Further, California State Parks is not involved in the removal of the memorials, nor is the Santa Cruz Sheriff.
