When the tides are right, there's nothing like exploring the weird and colorful world of tide pools. Just make sure you leave it as you found it.
Kids going tidepooling should be ready to follow directions and treat the fragile tide-pool environment with care.
“It’s so tricky, because kids need to explore,” said Janice Mathisen, community outreach coordinator for the Seattle Aquarium, which offers a volunteer beach naturalist program to help guide visitors as they explore local beaches. “And we remember how we were on the beach as children. But what we see is there are so many people using the beach now, it has a big impact.”
One of the bigger mistakes visitors make is rolling over big rocks, Mathisen said. “It leaves things that live under them exposed, and … everything that was living on top of the rock is now face down in the sand, and they’ll suffocate and die.”
If you really want to see what’s under the rocks, choose one smaller than your head, and lift it up, then gently put it back, she said.
Lucky tidepoolers sometimes come across young octopuses, Mathisen said. It’s best not to touch them — one of the species has a painful bite.
Some other pointers for exploring:
Wet your fingers, so they’re not hot and dry when you’re touching any sea creatures. And touch gently.
Tread lightly; walk, don’t run.
Take your time. “That’s another magical thing, to stop at a tide pool and spend five minutes just watching,” Mathisen said. “At first you don’t see anything, and then all of a sudden, it’s like, whoa! It’s boiling with critters.”
Mathisen recommends checking out the rocks near the Charles Richey Sr Viewpoint, at the south end of Alki beach in West Seattle to see a diversity of creatures in a small area. Other in-city spots include Discovery Park in Magnolia, or the north end of Golden Gardens Park in Ballard. Check out a tide chart and aim for a minus tide, planning your visit for an hour before low tide for the best exploring,
Be sure to take pictures of your finds — or bring a sketchbook and colored pencils for the kids to draw what they saw. Just don’t take anything home, including shells and rocks.
“It’s just taking away part of the habitat that’s supposed to be there,” Mathisen explained.
If you want to spend a day-trip or a weekend trip revolving around tidepool exploration, the Washington Trails Association has a list of Washington tidepool destinations.
