Calista's World

Tide pooling is Calista’s thing. And I was lucky enough to join her on a gloomy morning in late June.

When I say tide pooling is Calista’s thing, I don’t just mean she likes it. I mean it’s the thing that magnifies her refreshingly emotive disposition and reveals her childlike wonder in a way that’s instantly contagious. She speaks the language of the inner tidal zone, and it’s not hard to imagine that it speaks back to her.

In the endless terrain of kelp, current, and rock, Calista navigates what is slippery and fragile with gentle steps and a playfully authentic heart. Beneath the surface, her world is full of teeny tiny creatures whose names she taught me as we spotted them nestled in patches of encrusting coralline algae, clinging to pieces of kelp, and tucked into pockets of rock.

At the top of our search list were nudibranchs. Nudibranchs are tiny sea slugs that look like they were brought here by aliens. Their frilly backs, impossible colors, and names (like "blue dragon") make them feel less like shell-less marine gastropods and more like Pokémon. They are also abundantly fascinating, existentially triggering, and very fun to photograph on a waterproof digital camera courtesy of eBay.

After Calista's first few finds, I finally spotted one myself, its back rippling like tiny fringe. She looked over and said, "This is a really good one, Lea. You did good! I love seeing shag rugs!"

I don't think I've ever felt so proud of finding something so tiny!

After our nudibranch spree, we collected every type of seaweed we could find, poured the water out of our boots, and chose a spot to sit. Calista made tea in her QuickBoil, and we used her field guide to identify each species. She read aloud about each one while nibbling on the pastries she'd packed, quietly committing each one to memory.

If you’ve ever shared the one thing you love most with someone, you know it can be deeply exciting, but it can also be disappointing. You want them to enjoy it the way you do. To see what you see.

To be invited into Calista's world, and even more so to be trusted with places that have become sacred to her, felt wonderfully consuming.

By the end of the morning, I was overflowing with creativity and completely hooked.

If you'd like to spend more time in Calista's world, she shares her love of the coast, conservation, and the creatures of the inner tidal zone on her Instagram and YouTube, Braiding Seagrass. It's every bit as delightful as you'd imagine.