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What are your favorite places in San Diego to look around for sea life like urchins? Do you eat them out of mission bay?
by civilitty 3y ago
What are your favorite places in San Diego to look around for sea life like urchins?
Do you eat them out of mission bay?
- daveslash 3y agoTo look for life like urchins? Or urchins specifically to eat? Full Disclosure: I am not an expert on inter-tidal foraging. Here are my thoughts, but I do not know if they are correct. I have eaten purple urchins out of the Mission Bay channel, but I don't recommend it because they're just so small and, frankly, just not worth the effort. But I don't have any health concerns. I'm very reluctant to eat any bi-valve shellfish that I harvest myself for concerns over Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP). I'm sure it can be done safely, but I am not knowledgeable enough to have self-confidence. I don't like the idea of eating filter-feeders (i.e. oysters) out of Mission Bay because of what they might be accumulating. Eating a scallop out of Mission Bay seems okay because the only part you eat is the muscle, not the whole digestive tract - but I still have the PSP concerns. If I find a legal lobster when the season opens, I'll eat that our of Mission Bay. Just looking for life itself, just to see and photograph - my two go-to spots are Mission Point Park and La Jolla Shores between the Marine Room and the cove. Mission Point is nice -- the protected cove feels safe, but the channel side is pretty exciting too. My wife and I are beginning to branch out to other parts of the bay. If you'd like to chat more, DM me on iNaturalist. https://www.inaturalist.org/people/dolfindave https://www.inaturalist.org/people/dolfindave