Visiting the Intertidal Region

Personal safety and safety for the environment are critical considerations when visiting the intertidal region:

Personal Safety
Some part of your awareness should be on what the waves and tides are doing. Just because the rock, beach or shoreline you are standing on is dry doesn’t mean it will stay that way. Rogue waves and an incoming tide can surprise even the experience local.

Environmental Safety
Learn the best low-impact way to visit your favorite shoreline. In heavily visited areas of the coast’s rocky shoreline it may be best to stay out of the intertidal region all together as human impact can noticeably damage the plant and animal life. What looks like rock or looks dead might be living. When you do go “tide pooling” pay attention to where you step. Leave rocks in place and refrain from disturbing the living creatures of the area.