without fail, the day of the full moon there is an incredible sunset. i am not sure how that happens. but the moon rises just as the sun sets and it is always just wonderful.
and the tides in january are probably the best of the year around here. have i written in here before about how incredible the tides are here in peñasco? 24 vertical feet. maybe that doesn't impress people, but it is truly stunning. the tide goes out hundreds and hundreds of feet ... and makes for such incredible tidepooling. thus, the tidepooling frenzy of that weekend.
first to station beach, as a tour at sunrise (my first tour, p.s., in spanish. terrrrrrifying! but successful. i need to get over my fear of talking in front of other people outside my comfort zone).
and we're in octopus season so we found all sorts of them!
[fitch's octopus]
then, a professor from the UA was down here with her marine biology class to also take advantage of these fabulous tides, and we went out to cholla bay with her (the tide there can go out three miles!). it's more of a mudflat, but still has some interesting things ... last time i was out there we saw live sand dollars! no such luck this time ... after that huge storm most things i think were washed away but there were these two mexican dancer nudibranchs!
and these giant hermit crabs. which i have heard about but had never seen before. their shells are just covered with anemones and worms and other things and they can't even suck themselves back into their shells ... their huge claws still hang out. and as they came out it was very jerky and, frankly, scared the shit out of me ... i almost dropped the poor guy. buuut amazing!
look at his crazy claws. and weird beady little eyes! the whole thing is just incredible.
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