For many visitors that come to Rocky Point, they love to go to the beach and look for shells or other sea life. If you have not been here before, it is easy to get caught in the middle of the water and the tide is coming in fast. With the use of a Tide Calendar, this can be avoided. You can buy a Tide Chart from CEDO that has all 12 months to look at or you can pick up a Rocky Point Times newspaper and find the tide chart there as well.
This is a valuable tool for going fishing as well. You want to make sure you are going out when the tide is out so you can come n with the tide and not have it fight you. Puerto Penasco has one of the highest tide changes in the world. You can witness these high and low tides during a full or new moon. The extreme high tide is over 25′ and when it is a full moon, Cholla Bay is completely full as are the other estuaries like the Morua Estuary at the end of Las Conchas. In Cholla Bay the Sea of Cortez will be lapping at the steps of JJ’s Cantina and is a great place to take photos.
When you are using the tide charts, they will always show the time of day and the magnitude of high and low tides. You always want to be on the shore before those tides change as they can come very quickly. Many people have parked by the water in front of JJ’s and many cars have gone under water while the owners are at the bar enjoying a cold one. Never… ever park by the waters edge below JJ’s on a full or new moon.
If you decide to go clamming at the 3rd estuary, really read that tide chart as those channels fill up very quickly and the beach you rode down on, will be under water.
No matter where you stay, you will find tide pools to explore and this is a great family event. Tide pools are just so exciting as you will many times see Octopus and many other things. If you decide to walk in Cholla Bay you will see Sea Urchins, Starfish and the large Penshells. There are many shells you can collect if they are dead like Sand Dollars. Please never take a live shell from the tidepools. Again, check the tides on the tide charts.
The Tide chart will let you know when the full and new moons are, even if you just want to sit and watch the sunsets and sunrises. When you are near the Sea of Cortez, these are so valuable.
If you come to |Rocky Point several times a year, order the one from CEDO as it also has some great photos of the area and it is sturdy, very easy to read and very well done. It is a must for locals as well as tourists.
