Simple Tides / Guides / Tide Pooling

Tide Pooling: Finding the Best Low Tides

Tide pools come alive at low tide, when rocky shoreline that's normally underwater is exposed and full of anemones, crabs, sea stars, and snails.

Aim for the lowest tides of the month

Not every low tide exposes the same amount of shoreline. The lowest lows — typically around new and full moons, during a spring tide — uncover the lower rocky zones where the most interesting tide pool life tends to live, compared to a shallow neap low that barely exposes the upper pools.

Time your visit around the low, not after it

The best window is usually the hour before predicted low tide through the hour after, while the water is at its lowest and before it starts rising again. Arriving too late means you're racing the incoming tide across slippery, uneven rock.

Safety basics

Rocky intertidal areas are slippery, and incoming tide can cut off a path back to shore faster than expected, especially around points and headlands. Check the tide chart before you go, keep an eye on the time, and always leave yourself a wide safety margin to get back before the tide turns.

Leave it as you found it

Many tide pool creatures are sensitive to handling and sun exposure. If you turn over a rock to look underneath, put it back gently in the same position, and avoid removing animals or shells from the pools.