From lowest lows to highest highs — here’s what king tides looked like in SLO County

David Middlecamp
·1 min read

The cypress trees along Morro Bay have seen tides come and go over the years — but as sea levels rise, they taste saltwater at the roots more often.

In November, December and January the Earth, Moon and Sun align in a way that amplifies tidal gravitational pull on the ocean, resulting in the highest highs and lowest lows of the year: what is known as king tides.

King tides hit San Luis Obispo County over the weekend in a dramatic display that some scientists say are a sample of what normal tide levels could look like in a few decades as sea levels rise due to climate change.

The higher sea levels will have impacts on natural habitat, and what humans have built along the shore, they say.

Near the Morro Bay Natural History Museum on Dec. 4, the tides at their highest point of 5.7 feet lapped at the bottom of the cypress trees along the coastline, before falling back to a low of -0.9 feet later that day.

For those who missed the natural phenomenon this time around, San Luis Obispo County will next see king tides on Jan. 1 through Jan. 3.

In Morro Bay, the tide went from a high of 5.7 feet at 9:43 a.m. to a low of -0.9 feet at 5:24 p.m.. Dec. 4, 2021. This photos was taken near the Morro Bay Natural History Museum at 4:50 p.m., about 34 minutes before the lowest point as the sun set over the Pacific.
In Morro Bay, the tide went from a high of 5.7 feet at 9:43 a.m. to a low of -0.9 feet at 5:24 p.m.. Dec. 4, 2021. This photos was taken near the Morro Bay Natural History Museum at 4:50 p.m., about 34 minutes before the lowest point as the sun set over the Pacific.
This photo was taken minutes before peak high tide of 5.7 feet at 9:43 a.m. on Dec. 4 near the Morro Bay Natural History Museum.
This photo was taken minutes before peak high tide of 5.7 feet at 9:43 a.m. on Dec. 4 near the Morro Bay Natural History Museum.