Cal Poly, State Parks invite community to play ‘Tide and Seek’ during king tides this week
When taking photos, participants are asked to prioritize safety
– Cal Poly and California State Parks are inviting community members to take part in a new “Tide and Seek” photo game during this season’s king tides along the San Luis Obispo County coast, with an event stand open from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 5, at the Morro Bay Natural History Museum.
The event is part of the California King Tides Project, a citizen science effort that uses photos of the year’s highest tides to visualize how rising seas may affect California’s coastline and communities. Cal Poly’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Department partners with the California Coastal Commission and California State Parks to encourage public participation in the project.
Along much of the San Luis Obispo County coast, the king tide is expected to peak around 8:15 a.m. Dec. 4, 9 a.m. Dec. 5 and 9:50 a.m. Dec. 6, though times vary by location. Community members may visit the Morro Bay Natural History Museum between 8:30 and 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 5, or go to their nearest coastline during the high tide on Dec. 4, 5, or 6 to participate.
Participants are asked to take photos of the king tide, ideally with location services enabled on their phones. When taking photos, participants are asked to prioritize safety, never turn their backs on the waves, avoid slippery rocks and unstable cliffs, and keep a safe distance from the waterline at surf beaches to avoid being caught off guard by sneaker waves.
Participants can upload images to the California King Tides Project website at coastal.ca.gov/kingtides/participate.html.
Photos may be added to statewide maps of king tide locations and used in presentations, exhibits, websites, and publications focused on sea-level rise, coastal planning, and climate action.
This year’s event introduces Tide and Seek, an activity designed to engage more students and community members by turning king tide photography into a game. Three maps highlight coastal locations where participants can take king tide photos, and each uploaded photo lets players check off a spot. Participants can play individually or as a team. Sea-level experts will review entries, and prizes will be awarded for the most complete map and the best overall king tide photo.
To be eligible for prizes, participants must take photos during the peak high tide using a phone with location services turned on or note locations manually if using a camera, upload their photos to the California King Tides Project website, and email their photo collection to SLO_KingTides@office.calpoly.edu.
