10/31/2026
Behold! This Halloween, we bring you a spooky Orange Coast Creature Feature! Learn about some of the critters you may find crawling through our backcountry ā°ļø and lurking in the ocean š
Slide 1:
If you go on a hike and find yourself trapped in a silky, invisible force, you may have just walked into the web of our spooky little architects - the Western Pacific Orbweaver! š·ļøšøļø Most orb-weavers can spin a complete circular web in roughly 30-60 minutes. They are nighttime builders, waiting for the cover of dark to complete their architectural masterpieces. While intended to catch insects for food, these webs may occasionally catch a poor, unsuspecting hiker off-guardā¦
Slide 2:
While they may be large, hairy, and have a pair of fangs that will have you running for the hills šāāļøšØ - tarantulas are actually quite harmless to humans. Our fuzzy friends are more active at nighttime due to their nocturnal nature š Fun fact: Despite having 8 eyes, tarantulas have pretty poor eyesight! They rely on their tiny sensory hairs along their legs and body to detect vibrations and movement.
Slide 3:
This alien-looking fish š½š, known as the Pacific footballfish, is a deep-sea anglerfish that lives 3,000 feet below the oceanās surface. Females have a bioluminescent stalk on their head used to lure in prey in the dark ocean. This one washed ashore at Crystal Cove in 2023 - a rare sight for us land folk indeed!
Slide 4:
Say hello to natureās sandy little ninjas š„·
The round stingray loves to hang out in warm, ankle-to-waist-deep water where they can feed on small clams, worms, shrimp and crabs. Careful where you step! While they are normally docile, you can help prevent painful encounters with their venomous spines by performing the āstingray shuffleā - simply slide your feet along the sand when walking in the ocean!
Slide 5:
Something is bubbling in the garden! š«§
Meet the spittlebug! These tiny critters create mysterious blobs of foamy āspitā on plants that acts as a cozy hiding spot. They blow air into a liquid they produce to create this protective bubble bath that helps to keep them moist and shield them from predators until they are ready to emerge as froghoppers.
