My family calls me MyMy.
And after we've spent a morning crouched over the same tide pool watching a hermit crab work up the courage to leave its shell, you'll feel a little bit like family too. That's just what happens out here. The rocks, the spray, the small wonders we find together — it pulls people in. Come tour with me, and don't be surprised if you leave with a new friend and a few barnacle stories. Marine biologist, Texas A&M Aggie, former Cannon Beach Tide Pool Ambassador, and full-time fan of anything with more than four legs and a hard exoskeleton.
Why I'm doing this.
I grew up obsessed with tide pools. The first time I saw a sea star, I was four, and I've been chasing that feeling ever since.
At Texas A&M, I focused on marine biology because I wanted to understand the creatures I'd been staring at since I was a kid. After graduation I made my way to the Oregon Coast and signed on as a Tide Pool Ambassador on Cannon Beach — one of those bright-vested folks you see at the rocks during low tide, answering questions and reminding people not to step on the anemones.
The Ambassador program is wonderful, but it's first-come, first-served and group sizes are unlimited. I kept thinking about what we could do with a small group, more time, and a real plan. So here I am.
How I run a tour
Small groups, always.
Ten guests is the absolute maximum. Most tours are 6 to 8. Anything bigger and the experience starts to feel like a school field trip instead of an adventure.
No question is silly.
"Is that a rock?" is genuinely a great question — sometimes it's a chiton doing an excellent rock impression. I'd much rather you ask than guess.
Stewardship matters.
Every tour includes a few minutes on Leave No Trace ethics. Tide pools are public spaces and incredibly fragile. The kids who come on my tours grow up to be the visitors who don't step on the anemones.
Safety first, always.
Sneaker waves, slick rocks, and rising tides have killed more visitors on the Oregon Coast than anything else. I watch the ocean while you watch the pools, so you don't have to.