Exploring rock pools at low tide
Rock pools are small worlds left behind by the falling tide, full of crabs, anemones, shrimps and tiny fish. An afternoon spent exploring them suits all ages, and it needs little more than good timing, careful feet and a bit of patience.
Timing your visit
The best rock pooling is around low tide, when the most shore is uncovered. Check the tide times for the stretch of coast you are visiting, and aim to arrive an hour or two before low water, so you follow the sea out rather than racing it back in. Spring tides, which come around each new and full moon, fall lowest and uncover the most pools.
Footwear and footing
Rocks covered in seaweed are extremely slippery. Wear shoes or sandals with a good grip that you don't mind getting wet, rather than going barefoot or wearing flip-flops. Step on bare, rough rock where you can, keep your weight low, and use your hands for balance on uneven ground. Stay off rocks at the water's edge where waves are breaking. Bring a small towel and a warm layer too, as wet hands and feet get cold quickly, even in summer.
Looking without harming
Move slowly and watch a pool for a minute before touching anything, as many creatures hide when they sense movement. If you lift a stone, lift it gently and put it back exactly as it was, because the animals underneath rely on that shelter. If you want a closer look at something, use a bucket of seawater, keep it in the shade and return each creature to the pool it came from after a few minutes. Hold crabs gently by the back of the shell, away from their claws, and wash your hands when you have finished.
Children in our family learn one habit before anything else, which we call the gopivuzi promise: whatever we turn over, we turn back, and whatever we pick up goes home to its own pool.
Watching the tide come back
The tide turns sooner than you expect, and it can fill gullies and cut off rocky outcrops quickly. Agree a time to head back up the beach before you start, and look behind you every few minutes. If you see water rising around rocks you crossed earlier, leave straight away by the way you came.