Calendar Feature

Make Way for King Tides

DANA POINT— Mark your calendars. From Jan. 21-22, King Tides will take over Dana Point. King Tides occur twice in the Earth’s rotation when the Earth is closest to the moon and closest to the sun and typically last for three to four days. This occurs around the winter and summer solstice. Winter king tides may be amplified by weather and ocean conditions making these events more dramatic. In the northern hemisphere, the term king tide is used to describe each of these winter high tide events.

The gravitational pull between the sun or moon and the Earth is what causes king tides, a non-scientific name often used to describe exceptionally high tides that can reach as high as seven feet tall.

When the tides are high, it makes for great surf, and the waves are a phenomenon worth watching. When the tides are low, it opens an exploration of tide pools where you can find creatures like urchins, sea cucumbers, nudibranchs, and octopuses.

Tides are long-period waves that roll around the planet as the ocean is “pulled” back and forth by the moon and the sun’s gravitational pull as these bodies interact with the Earth in their monthly and yearly orbits. Higher than normal tides typically occur during a new or full moon and when the moon is at its perigee or during specific seasons around the country.

The Ocean Institute in Dana Point offers educational walking tours where guests can learn, see, and experience the dramatic bi-annual waves.

American Red Cross Blood Drive

Dana Point Harbor Partners and the American Red Cross are hosting a blood drive on Jan. 26 from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. at the Dana Point Harbor. Participants can join in the Red Cross’s mission by scheduling an appointment at RedCrossBlood.org. Streamline your donation experience and save up to time by visiting RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass to complete your pre-donation reading and health history questions on the day of your appointment.