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Goose-Necked Barnacles are unusual animals that live in the inter-tidal region of the California coast. We saw these Goose-Necked Barnacles under a rock ledge above the tide pools near Point Loma in San Diego. The inter-tidal region is the part of the shore that is between the tides. That is, at high tide the inter-tidal region is underwater, but at low tide the inter-tidal region is out of the water.

This colony of Goose-Necked Barnacles had maybe 100 animals. The entire colony was about one foot across, a little bigger than a basketball. The colony is also tangled with long green blades of Surf Grass, a common seaweed.

Goose-Necked Barnacles have white shells that cover their bodies. Goose-Necked Barnacles are distant relatives of crabs. Crabs also have similar kinds of shells that cover their bodies.