Tide Pooling 101: What to know and where to go around Puget Sound
While the rest of America thinks us Seattleites sit in a cafe year-round wearing flannel and sipping coffee, we all know the truth; we only do that for some of the year. Come summertime, we’re out exploring the beautiful forests, mountains, lakes, and beaches in the PNW. Give us a 70-degree day and a beach, and we’ll be outside until the sun goes down at 9 p.m.
Seattle's warmer months are a magical time, and there's even more magic to be seen if you head to the beach.
Carolyn Woods, the education manager at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center, says, "Here on the West Coast and in the Puget Sound, summer is a great time to be thinking about tide pooling. That's when our really low daytime lows are, so anytime you see a low tide that's negative, that's going to be pretty good for tide pooling.”
And what makes tide pooling so magical? It’s all about going on a scavenger hunt for tide pool inhabitants. Think sea stars, sea anemones, sea urchins, and crabs. But it’s also an optimal time to marvel at the beauty of the diverse seaweed and breathe in some salty air.
PHOTOS | One of the lowest tides of 2025 reveals amazing Puget Sound marine life
Here are some top tide-pooling tips to get started:
Know when to go
A trip to the beach is never a bad idea, but if you’re going in search of tide pools, look for a negative number on the tide chart. Woods explained that here in Puget Sound, we’re on a cycle of four tides per day, and two of those will be marked as the low tide.
Woods’ recommendation is to head out on your tide pooling adventure an hour or two before the lowest tide is predicted. This way, you’ll be heading back in when the tide is also on its way in.
Go prepared
Like any outdoor adventure, you’ll want to pack along some essentials like water, sun protection, and maybe some coffee if it’s a morning low tide. Keep in mind that the beach can be windier than other outdoor locations, so a light jacket might be worth packing along. As a bonus, it doubles as sun coverage.
Woods also recommends paying close attention to your footwear choice. “There's so much growing on rocks in the intertidal zone that can poke your feet like barnacles and mussels that shoes are really essential.” Sandals are not off-limits but be sure they have a heel strap and stay securely on your feet. Woods warns against wearing flip flops since those are easy to slip off. Jimmy Buffet probably agrees on account of them blowing out, although you’re not likely to encounter a pop top while tide pooling in the Puget Sound.
Know what to look for
You don’t need to spend late nights studying, but it can be helpful to know of a few creatures that are common to see in tide pools in the Puget Sound area. We’re lucky to see plenty of anemones on local beaches, crabs, barnacles, mussels, limpets, moon snails, clams, geoducks, and sea stars.
If you prefer to explore the tide pools with an expert, check out the low tide walks offered by the Port Townsend Marine Science Center if you’ll be out on the peninsula or those staffed with Beach Naturalists from the Seattle Aquarium in the Seattle area.
Know where to go
To get the best tide pooling experience, head to beaches with lots of rocks, pilings, or areas near a pier. “We have a lot of stuff that grows on those,” said Woods. “But any hard surface is going to be better for tide pooling compared to a mud or sandy flat.”
At times, it can be a bummer that we don’t have soft, sandy shores in Puget Sound like those on tropical beaches, but this is a blessing when it comes to seeing animals. Here are some of the best Seattle area beaches for tide pooling, listed from north to south:
Edmonds
Shoreline
Seattle
West Seattle
South of Seattle
Go slow
Once you’re on the beach with the proper gear, Woods’ number one tip is to move slowly. Not only does this help keep you safe, it helps keep the critters safe. You’ll be looking more intensely at the tide pools, which can help decrease accidentally stepping on something other than the sand or a rock.
Be kind to the wildlife
While seeing a negative tide gets us humans excited, the wildlife don’t share this joy. For them, it’s like seeing a day on the calendar with a final test followed by a dental appointment. “It's a really vulnerable and challenging time for those living things since they're used to being submerged,” Woods explained. But just like we would study for the test and be sure to floss everyday, the living creatures have adapted to temporary periods out of the water. “They have adaptations to deal with this dynamic and challenging habitat where the water is going up and down,” said Woods. Because of this, we’re given the added privilege of being able to observe some of these coping mechanisms. Some fish, for example, can cover themselves in a protective coating to keep them well hydrated until the tide returns.
Since the sea creatures are experiencing a stressful situation, it’s best to practice kindness. Observe animals where they are and avoid picking them up or moving them to a new location. “It's especially important to avoid peeling anything off the rocks, of course, because that's usually their survival strategy for waiting until the water comes back,” said Woods.
One technique Woods likes to observe wildlife without disturbing is to look for kelp or seaweeds that are attached to rocks. “They'll be draped over the sides of rocks and you can sort of part the seaweed curtain and look at what is hiding under there,” she explained.
Get salty
A huge benefit of tide pooling in the Puget Sound is that you’re unlikely to run into a harmful creature. Woods said, “Nearly everything in the tide pools is safe to touch as long as you're doing it gently.” Woods’ golden rule is to use only two fingers when touching living creatures in the tide pools, and be sure your hands are wet with the surrounding salt water. “Ideally you’re touching anything with wet hands from the ocean so you don’t dry anything out,” Woods recommended.
In terms of what not to touch, Woods has a few guidelines.
- If a crab is larger than your closed fist, let it be. Picking up crabs that are larger than a fist can be problematic when it comes to injury.
- Anemones are some of the coolest critters to find and it’s safe to touch the tentacles but Woods said, “...in the center where their mouth is, we should avoid touching that.”
Leave it at the beach
Everything natural you see on the beach should stay on the beach. In fact, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has rules against removing some shells and seaweeds from the beach, so it’s best to leave it all where you found it.
Don’t stop just because summer is over
Summer is a great time to explore tide pools, but it’s not just because of good weather. As Woods explained, the lowest daytime low tides occur during late spring and summer months. However, if you don’t mind colder temperatures and have an adventurous attitude, winter is a spectacular time for tide pooling.
In order to see the lowest of low tides in winter, you’ll have to be exploring in the dark but Woods doesn’t think that’s a bad thing. “You can bring things like UV lights and see a lot of really cool animal behaviors because a lot of these things are nocturnal in the intertidal zone and a lot of them are biofluorescent.” Bundle up correctly, and a nighttime beach adventure in the winter can be just as rewarding as summer tide pooling.
The Port Townsend Marine Science Center located in Fort Worden State Park and you can visit the storefront in downtown Port Townsend at 1001 Water Street. Check tides with NOAA, and plan to visit a low tide with a Seattle Aquarium Beach Naturalist throughout the summer on local shores.
Lauren Allain is a freelance writer for Seattle Refined.
READ MORE | Best tide pools to explore at low tide in the PNW
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