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Fitzgerald Marine Reserve
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34 reviews for Fitzgerald Marine Reserve
Of all the places on the coast that I would send visitors to this is it!
Magical, magical and magical! Each tidepool is a natural work
of art, like a mural or mosaic of nature! Wow, check the tide tables and pick low tide to really have a look around.
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I discovered this place when I was in 5th grade, going on a overnight class field trip.
You have to go to this place at the right time, so you need to check out the times that the tides are low in order to get the full experience out of your trip to Fitzgerald's.
When the tides are high, it looks like an ordinary beach, however once the tides are low you are able to see living sea life and you have the ability to walk around to explore and discover marine life. It's pretty darn amazing to see starfishes, anemones, crabs, and other creatures. You can touch them! Sometimes sea lions swim and put on a show from way afar. It's pretty cool!
This place is really hard to miss, so you need to make sure to map it correctly because major signage is missing and it can be pretty frustrating.
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Fitzgerald Marine Reserve is an amazing little piece of the coast, a prime example of how beautiful California is. I love love love love looooove marine life, and being able to see these creatures in their natural habitat is such a treat.
The weather is usually cool and overcast enough to stand out here and see all of the hermit crabs, sea snails, sea anemones and even some fishes (if you've got the eye to spot 'em!). The tide pools go a little past the beach into the ocean, so make sure you bring some slippers--let some cool ocean water numb your toes!
There's also some harbor seals at a safe distance from the tide pools, and if you're lucky you'll spot a sea otter or two.
Overall, Fitzgerald Marine Reserve is a great place to visit, more for the tide pools, less for the beach itself (there's not much space, especially on a busy day).
Make sure you plan ahead--check for Moss Beach, CA high/low tide times, and plan on visiting during low tide. And show up at least a little early, the parking gets taken up quick. Enjoy!!
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Check the tides before you go to Moss Beach. At low tide, you can see lots of sea creatures including starfish which are really huge. Lots of mussels, sea anemones, etc. Quite a few harbor seals as well. Apparently there are also fossils in the rocks, but didn't see any.
this place is fantastic. i have been coming here since i was a little kid.
you can see hermit crabs, regular crabs, little fishies, starfish, sea anemone (the sticky things that stick onto your finger when you touch them), seals, etc etc.
make sure to check the tidal schedule, and time your visit to coincide with low tide to get the most of out this place (duh). use this website, for half moon bay, california: http://www.saltwaterti.../
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Little jewel-like pools of life.
Clear cold Pacific Ocean water running around your toes (hopefully well protected toes).
- Seaweed everywhere to slip on or to admire their hues of color (bright and dark green, dark red, coral).
- Oval white Rough Limpets with radiating ridges all snugged down into their rock pockets.
- Mossy Chitons with their white plated armor apparently eating into the rock, deepening their pocket homes.
- Greenish Aggregate Anemones with their sand pebbles stuck to their outsides or open like fine-fingered flower petal fingers to catch food.
- Tiny Lined crabs darting out of cracks and slipping back in.
- Real live wild Harbor Seals [please don't disturb--just look] lazily sunbathing on the beach only a few yards from you.
Then there is this easy trail that goes a south bove the tide pools and seals and towards the Distillery in Montara.
All in all, a sweet place to spend a day.
I am a professional photographer and I must say this location is picturesque! I probably shouldn't be giving up one of my favorite locations, but I just had to say how much I love it here. I do have to drive about an hour to get there, but it's worth it. Once you're there you feel like you're in a different world. So relaxed and deep in nature. The park if very clean and very well preserved. I love the grove and the beach is always full of surprises. You never know what you are going to see and what nature has in store. If you're lucky you might even get to see the elephant seals on shore. Great hidden gem.
What better place to celebrate Earth Day?
I love coming to Fitzgerald Marine Reserve when I need to unwind and relax in nature. And when I feel the urge to visit FMR, I always check out the website to see when low tide is, which is important for seeing the tidepools at their best! I think today was the lowest tide I'd seen here, and there were tons of pools to explore. I saw sea anemones, limpits, hermit crabs, baby sculpin, lots of kelp, and a lot of empty mussel shells.
FMR is also a popular spot for harbor seals to hang out, so I'm wondering if they have anything to do with the decreased tidepool populations--I remember seeing a few more species before--or maybe it's another effect of global warming. It's also baby seal season, so a large portion of the beach area was coned off, but I could still see the adult seals in the distance, even without binoculars, and there was also a baby seal resting nearby. It's nice that there's a ranger on duty to warn the folks who like to ignore the signs and try to walk over to pet the seals. Doh! (And, yes, I have witnessed this!)
At the risk of turning this into a popular place, I do recommend visiting here. It's especially great for children and land-locked out-of-towners. And it's a great escape from the heat of the valley for locals because it's always a bit breezy here.
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Wow! This is such a wonderful place to spend a sunny afternoon! My husband and I went today for the first time.
To start with, admission is free. Secondly, the lady at the information shack was very funny and helpful. Thirdly, there were trained volunteers walking out among the tidepools who would randomly come up and point interesting things out to us, or ask if we needed help. Nice.
As if that weren't enough, you get to admire and touch sea life! There were harbor seals sunning themselves! And starfish! And grumpy red rock crabs that snapped their claws at a volunteer's stick. And huge carpet-like expanses of barnacles and spiky, bright-purple sea urchins. Also, I got to pet a big, squishy yellow sea slug!
After you walk around, be sure to climb up and walk back along the ridge. It gives a spectacular view.
All in all, a very nice afternoon.
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What a gem. I love the fact that parking is free and that it is never too crowded here.
Facing the ocean, if you take a stroll to your left, you will most likely run into the seals. You'll know if you are there by the overwhelming "phwahhh" smell of them. I had no idea they stunk so much!
There is a small sandy area to have a picnic lunch, which we usually end up doing. Unfortunately it is not large enough to fly a kite.
The tide pool area is quite large, enough room for everybody to roam. You can find the usual limpets, hermit crabs, sea anemones, sea stars, etc. Haven't found anything exotic like an eel, but I'm sure they are out there. Once the tide starts rolling in, the seals start coming in too. You'll see them bobbing around, diving for food, etc.
I'm bummed that there aren't any toilet facilities, but then maybe we would have to start paying for parking and I don't want that to happen!
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This place is hands down the best place in the bay area to take kids, for absolutely no money ( even the parking is free), and look like a super star.
Be sure to check tide charts online and go at low tide or you won't see much. Tip: Look on the underside of the rocks, look in the cracks and crevices. Another tip: think before you touch. I inadvertently pet an octopus. Yikes!
Hermit crabs that crawl in your hands, brightly colored sea anemones that close on your finger, horseshoe crabs, starfish, octopus (if you're lucky). This place is amazing.
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Found this beach purely by coincidence on a trip to California this month. Great spot for seal watching, tide pool adventure and melting away all cares. Being from Chicago, it was an exhilarating feeling to see Harbor Seals down the beach that weren't just swimming by you in small tank in the zoo. Very cute.
I took my niece and nephew here on 1-18-09 at 11am. I checked to confirm that low tide was around then with a tide of +1 ft. This was not the best time to visit since +1 ft low tide is the minimum requirements to see the tide pools. My last visit here was when I was a little boy and I thought I saw much more of the tide pools then. We'll have to try to visit again with lower tides.
We managed to see a harbor seal, starfish, sea anemones and hermit crabs. It's best to get here 1hr before low tide. We arrived at 10:30am and got lucky with a space in the parking lot but my friends had to find street parking. It was fairly busy with lots of families but we never felt crowded. We spent a nice hour or two looking everywhere and had a great time.
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An amazing natural wonder!
In my quest to find nearby day trips for the in-laws, we headed to Moss Beach and the Marine Reserve. My great aunt lives a mile from here, but I hadn't been back since I was a little girl. It was fabulous. We came on a day when low tide was pretty high so, there wasn't a whole lot to see. It was still great to see the few sea creatures we did. Plus, there were seals on the beach and we saw a whale out in the ocean. I am so happy I rediscovered this place since it is a great, free place to take visitors in the future.
If you want a nice trip without using a ton of gas or spending a ton of money, check out this place when low tide is below 1.0; you won't be disappointed (OK, well, I can't guarantee that so don't get mad at me if you are disappointed).
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As many other yelpers have mentioned, make sure you check the tide charts before going! I went back again today just to be near the water and saw lots of disappointed parents and children because the tide was so high. The easiest tide chart I have found to read is http://www.saltwaterti.... You simply check "tide," then California, then scroll down until you find Princeton, Halfmoon Bay. At the bottom of the page you select the date/s you want the tide chart/s for. It brings up a page with estimates for high and low tides. There is so much more to see and a much larger area you can walk around if you go at low tide. At high tide, don't expect to see much of anything except water. Another note is there is actually a bathroom facility near the small visitor's center (by the parking lot). It's nice to be able to wash off your sandy shoes or feet there to before getting in the car.
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5/8/2009
I needed out of my apartment today, and since the Hallmark movies that were playing in the… Read more »
Fabulous for tide-pooling and critter-watching, just check the tide tables before heading out. Awesome daytrip to the coast anytime of year.
Harbor seals hang out near the shore, you can spot oystercatches, hermit crabs, starfish, sea anemones, the drama of the ocean in miniature.
Weather can be extremely variable so pack a variety of clothes. Several hiking trails in the area too.
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My memories of this place go back to when I was about 3 or 4 years old. I'm not even sure if it was a reserve then.
My father was showing me how a sea anemone closes up when he would touch the earpiece of his glasses to their tentacles. We thought they were poisonous (They are but not to humans, the tensile strength of our skin is way too tough for them to penetrate).
Back the there were still some remnants of the Ocean Shore Railroad.
http://en.wikipedia.or...
The only thing that remains today is one bridge support, the rest has gone into the sea.
I took my daughter there earlier in the week to look for Nudibranchs because she is doing a school project on them (Her own choice). We didn't find any because the tide was too high but hopefully she will have some memories of her own to share with her children someday.
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What could be more enjoyable and relaxing than an afternoon at the TidePools - other than a walk along the bluff and the Tide Pools - if you have not been yet - you are missing out - this is a Coastal MUST DO activity. Relax, enjoy and see some AMAZING creatures - and a sea lion or two too!
Adorable seals. Need I say more?
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SEA PORK! This place has tons and tons of sea pork! And sea lemons! Why is almost every tidepool creature called a "sea [insert name of land animal/plant/object]"? (Except the "ocean pincushion" which isn't a "sea pincushion" for some reason...) Humans are so lazy and unimaginative. Except the person who saw a slimy, pudgy, pinkish flesh-colored growth on rocks and named it "SEA PORK." That person, I think, is my soulmate.
I love that there is no difficult hiking or rock-hopping to see the sea creatures in their natural habitat. I totally expected to fall and get wet, but I was just fine. Of course, this means if you come on a weekend, there are families with kids who may or may not be well-behaved. Aside from a few screamy kids, the people are nice and friendly. People tell each other any notable sightings in the area, like "Oh, there's a huge sea star over there!" Plus, there are volunteers who know a lot about the creatures in green sweatshirts. Though we weren't on the guided tours, one of the volunteers, Tom, walked with us for a long time, answering questions, pointing out fabulous finds, and looking up new critters in his field guide.
We went during an ultra low tide (spring tide?) so we went out pretty far away from the beach. Even within the relatively small area we covered, we saw so many different lifeforms and landscapes it felt like being on another planet. At the very least, you will definitely see tons of sea urchins in a massive sea urchin condo/housing project of sorts, as well as beautiful sea anemones and sea stars. If you look more closely (or have a guide pointing things out to you), you'll see the strangest and most colorful little creatures. There is no "collecting" allowed, but you can touch everything gently.
It's pretty easy to get around the tidepools, and I saw people wearing regular shoes (and Uggs. GRRR!!), but it's best to wear waterproof shoes. Sometimes, you think you're stepping on a wad of sea grass, but then your foot sinks into water. There is some jagged terrain, mussel colonies, and a crazy amount of sea urchins so don't be wearing beach sandals or other flimsy footwear. If you have a camera with a good zoom and a wrist strap, definitely bring it because there are so many unbelievable sights.
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HEY KRISTINA R! I FOUND YOU A FIELD TRIP FOR YOUR KIDDIES!
Yeah! This place rocks! TONS AND TONS AND TONS OF SQUISHIES!
Squishies is my name for Sea Anemone-since I can't pronounce it like Worcestshire Sauce like Shaggy on Scooby Doo...just go with me here.
Yeah, all you naysayers said it couldn't be done, that I'd never get a low tide, but guess what???? ;P
I went at 12pm and Low Tide was at 1:08 pm. BAM!
perfect!
We saw squishies, hermit crabs, starfish of different species, chiton (an arthropod), different species of algae and sea grass and kelp.
This is also Harbor Seal and Sea Otter Territory.
But the wierdest, funniest thing was yes-----Yes. They are officially named sea sacs. I held one in my hand which was real funny to my friend. I proceeded to see if water was in it and ended up being leaky and squirt at me. ...
I digress.
Well, we also saw a heron and it was actually hot on the beach.
There are also several rangers who are quite helpful to dispense information about the park and its inhabitants.
Also, best footwear here are strappy sandals, like Chacos or Tevas.
Follow the rules of the park to protect this place.
The docent at the visitor center is a gem and she is full of info. check out the whale vertebrae. No. They are not on sale. We already asked...But they do sell really good tide pool creature guides for 9.70. It has other uses as well. It came in handy as a fan and as a hat too. She also said that if I became a member, I could do night tide pooling which she said was lovely. I think I just might and have all of you support this lovely place too. After we can go to HMB Brewery and drink fireside! Umm. I guess not for the field trip though. Tipsy teachers and nurses are a little goofy.
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It's fun to go rock hopping at Fitzgerald Marine Reserve. Though, unless you go at minus tide you might not see any starfish or the other crazy marine animals there. There are sea urchins, anemones, sea snails, sponges, hermit crabs, fish, octopi, pretty seashells, etc., etc.
I've seen starfish with 20 arms before, and every so often sea lions will park themselves on the rocks, so you have the chance to get up close, but don't get too personal. The only time that I have attempted to get close to a sea lion is when it has been a baby, I would not dare get close to the big fellas. And, when I say close, I don't mean that close... I just mean closer than you would see them if you were at Pier 39 or something. They're adorable! All speckled and frosty.
Bring shoes with good grip because the rocks are slippery. I once made the mistake of wearing a pair of converse and left with soaked, squishy sounding shoes and wet pants.
Note: When out there be careful not to trample or disrupt the animals in their natural habitat, the reef is their sanctuary so just observe.
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went today for a nice walk and it's soo calming especially the fact that you can hike up this small hill that overlooks the ocean. I'm definitely bringing a book next time ....good place to get away from the chaotic world!
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You must go to Fitzgerald Marine Reserve during Minus Tide or low tide. We went Sat 5/20/06 and it was so awesome. Tons of people came out seems like a lot of kids w/ their parents. My friend checked the tide tables that's how we knew to go that day at that time.
We saw sea stars, sea urchins, anemones, mussels, and the harbor seals (they were resting and protected so only from a distance.)
Recommended for all ages. Rocks and sea grass can be slippery so be careful when walking out there.
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A hidden gem and majestic playground. PLEASE don't forget that this is a RESERVE meant to protect life and follow the guidelines: don't litter, don't take shells or sealife(seaglass is fair game), give the harbor seals their room when they are on the beach, stay out of contained areas(which will be clearly marked) and be cautious of life when traversing the reef.
If you have time and interest, venture on to the bluffs and discover all the cool spots in the small forest above the beach. There is a second entrance onto the south end of the Reserve close to the Moss Beach Distillery. It is a steep stairway down, take heed. Lots of fun for small kids and perfect for family outings.
If the Rangers are out and about they are a wealth of information about the natural habitat and the wildlife dependant upon it. If your kids are into Marine Life they have a Junior Ranger program available.
If you follow the tides and go during a negative tide you will be amazed in what you find! Don't turn your back on the ocean (EVER!) and pay attention to the cliffs as they are very unstable and drop small to medium sized rocks regularly.
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This is my new favorite field trip. We came here with my parents and friends at low-tide on a Saturday afternoon. There were lots of families checking out the tide pools, but things got calmer as you walked South, which is where the real action was - huge starfish and beautiful
purple sea urchins and green waving anemones. Just gorgeous. Nice volunteer docents help you remember to stay away from the seals and answer questions - just fabulous.
Remember it's a reserve and don't pocket any anemone shells or urchin tests (their pretty skeletons).
Look up the low tides online and then schedule a beer before or after.
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I can see how this place would be really cool for people with kids, but for me and my boyfriend, I found all the kids rather annoying.
Like everyone else there, we were lured with stories of seeing some fantastic sea life. The way it was described to us was that Octopus were abundantly visible.
We hiked there during low tide and from a distance, it truly is quite breathtaking to see. Finger-like stretches of rock jut out from the beach creating multiple tide pools, stretching all along the coastline. You can get pretty far out into the water without ever getting wet.
Maybe its just that all the sea creatures are scared off by the sticky-fingered hands of all the little kids swishing their arms around in the pools and making no effort to tread lightly on the shells or mollusks or seaweed. I don't know. I've seen better up along the Northern coast towards Mendocino--granted its not as large, and you cannot go out as far--but its a lot more private and introspective and I guess for me, that's what I like about being in nature.
Fitzgerald Marine Reserve is definitely worth seeing, but it reminded me of the touch pools you can see at the Monterey aquarium--overcrowded with loud, screaming kids, touching, poking, and prodding anything and everything they can.
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Cool "mini-vacation" from the City. Been over two decades since my last visit, but automatically transports you back to when you were a little kid. Searching, poking, prodding, being constantly amazed. A great place to bring your kids. It's free and there are marine wildlife volunteers happy to explain what everything is. Look for their green jackets.
TIP: Check times for low tide. Bring rain boots and/or walking sticks. Can get slippery.
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Veritable hotbed of tidepool wildlife....great for the kids AND adults. We had an additional treat the day we went--the Marine Mammal folks were releasing some rehabilitated sea lions and harbor seals back into the ocean....it was sooo cool to see them be free again!
There are a TON of seals here too, and this is a nice place to see them in the wild at close range.
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F.M.R.= home of hermit crabs, starfish, sea lions, sea anemones, and who knows what else.....the possibilities are endless....this is an awesome place along the coast! Check the website to get info on low-tide times, and be prepared to spend a significant amount of time exploring the tidepools. Wear layers of clothing as it can be very windy, as well as sturdy shoes. Also apply generous sunblock because the sun will get to you, and don't forget tons of water. Last but not least, you'll need your camera because you're bound to see a variety of sealife that'll be worth capturing on camera. What an awesome place! =)
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This is a wonderful bay area resource whose riches are best viewed at low tide. If you have never explored the beach at low tide, consider a drive down the coast to this spot. You can find starfish and anonmoes that you can touch and more beauty than you can imagine.
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It was a bright, sunny day and we checked the tide charts and headed about 20 minutes south of SF to this marine reserve in Moss Beach. The tide pools were large, well preserved, with a lot of different levels of animal life. We spent several hours here, along with lots of children and families -- it was a great place to get out and watch the ocean for a little while!
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oh my.... never knew the name of this place and i thought this was a place where the troops were lead by Sargent Fitzgerald into the anemone infested pools of insurgents. MUCH more peaceful than to be found at the Monterey Aquarium.
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