Tidal Attraction

June 9, 2004 10:50 AM

Tidal Attraction
Strange, delicate, and sometimes delicious, tidepool creatures never cease to fascinate – until they’re gone. Steinbeck knew all about this enchanting world.
posted by Irontom (4 comments total)

good stuff. steinbeck makes me happy - although i've yet to read cannery row. makes me happier to know he was smart enough to tag along with someone who knew what they were talking about before writing about the tide pool.

and now i know that those things i ate in spain, way back in '92, were called "gooseneck barnacles". i had no idea what they were, and the locals couldn't give me an english name for them. but hey, it only took me 12 years to figure it out, right?
posted by caution live frogs at 12:15 PM on June 9, 2004

Tidal pools are among my favorite exploration spots. The contained ecosystems are fascinating. Thanks for posting the link to the article.

Its nice to know that those tidal pools are only about 30 miles from my house. I'll have to make a pilgramage one weekend.
posted by fenriq at 1:58 PM on June 9, 2004

"When the ebbing tide retreats
Along the rocky shoreline,
It leaves a trail of tidal pools
In a short-lived galaxy.
Each microcosmic planet
A complete society.

A simple kind mirror
To reflect upon our own.
All the busy little creatures
Chasing out their destinies.
Living in their pools,
They soon forget about the sea..."
Natural Science by Rush
posted by numbskeleton at 2:17 PM on June 9, 2004

Related link to the recent Sea of Cortez expedition, which loops back to the work of Steinbeck and Ricketts. Check out Ricketts' letters if you haven't read them.
posted by OneSmartMonkey at 5:39 PM on June 9, 2004