Rockpooling

Rockpooling is a fantastic way to interact with marine life without having to enter the water. If you’re not comfortable swimming or have young family members, rockpooling could be a great activity for you to try. Along the Jurassic Coast there are numerous spots to find wildlife along the shore, some of which are only a short walk from the carpark.

Lyme Regis Rockpooling

One of the most accessible and high-quality rockpooling sites along the Jurassic Coast is Broad Ledge at Lyme Regis. It is situated directly in front of the newly installed Mary Anning statue and can be accessed from the seawall.

At low spring tides, you’ll be able to walk across the harder limestone ledges and explore the softer shale areas that form rockpools. The walk is suitable for all ages but is slippery, so take care. Here you can find over 10 species of crab, baby fish, snails, and even catsharks.

Unlike many rock pooling sites around the UK, you also have the chance of finding fossils. Sea lily, or crinoid, stems are common in the fine shingle that settles in the bottom of the pools, so keep your eyes peeled!

Activity Ideas

Even if you can’t name the species you come across, you can count how many different types of animals you find. For example, setting challenges for children to see who can find the most crab species in ten minutes, or recording how the number and colour of seaweeds change as you move closer to the sea.

If you decide you’d like to learn more, you could become a citizen scientist and record your sightings with Shoresearch. If you’re a crab fanatic, you could get involved with Crab Watch. Alternatively, if you’re unsure about heading out rockpooling for the first time, you can book onto rockpool rambles with the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre, or The Fine Foundation Wild Seas Centre at Kimmeridge.

If you’d like to find out more about these projects and activities, check out the ‘Useful Links’ section below.  

Safety and Code of Conduct

Before heading out, make sure you check the tides in the area. You want to follow the tide out and visit on a day where the low tide retreats enough for you to access the lower shore. We call these tides ‘spring tides’.

As a rule, head out at least 2 hours before low tide. When you’re exploring the rockpools, the ledges you stand on can be cut off as the tide comes in, so keep an eye out behind you.

The animals and seaweeds that live in rockpools have adapted to the challenges of the ever-changing tides. Below the low tide mark, conditions are more stable, but for animals living on the shoreline, every day they must face the possibility of drying out, overheating, or suffering cell damage due to extremes in salinity. As a result, it is important to minimise stress to any animals we find by following the Sea Shore Code (courtesy of Wembury Marine Centre).

Useful links:

• Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre Marine Events
• The Fine Foundation Wild Seas Centre 
• Crab Watch Project (website and app)
• Crab Watch Crab ID guide (N.B. this also includes Mediterranean species)