I am fascinated by things hidden in plain sight. Micro-organisms. Code language. Lost objects. Deep-rooted emotions. They’re in front of us but visible only when we pay attention. And isn’t paying attention our endless and proper work?1
Tucked away in the quiet corners of coastal landscapes are hidden worlds that are easy to miss: tide pools. Tide pools are shallow pools of seawater formed on rocky inter-tidal shores that can range from a few inches to a few feet deep. They are formed when the tide recedes and seawater remains trapped in rocks. Look closer and you’ll find that these pools are rich microcosms of the sea - full of life, colors, textures, and surprises. They are home to a range of adaptable marine creatures like snails, barnacles, mussels, urchins, seaweed, and small fish that are able to cope with constantly changing water levels, temperatures, salinity and oxygen content. At low tide, they risk predators like seagulls, and hazards like big waves and strong currents. While tide pools might sound like temporary habitats, some organisms live their entire life here. Further, the biodiversity found in tide pools is comparable to rain forests!
Not long ago, I had the opportunity to go for a guided tide pool walk with Ocean Educators and BeatRoute Explorers at Hollant beach in Goa. Several beaches here have rocky shores and at low tide offer a plethora of marine life hidden in plain sight. Hollant is one such beach that is spectacular for tidepooling.
As we walked along the shore, we saw countless soldier crab burrows and sand crab poop. I knew I would spot barnacles and crabs on the rocks at the edge of the shore, but I was excited about what else was in store.
There was plenty!
We looked out for color and movement as we jumped from rock to rock. At first, it felt like an ordinary shoreline that made for a good spot to sit and watch the sunset. But soon enough I learned that that’s no such thing as an ordinary shoreline. The invisible became visible and an entire world came alive. There were soldier crabs going in and out of their den in the rocks. A hermit crab inside a shell. A blue clapping crab that made a guest appearance. An eight-legged porcelain crab showing off its long antennae.
We also spotted a rock pool blenny fish, several sea cucumbers (these are marine animals, not cucumbers), a pistol shrimp, lots of nudibranch, and green mussels (known to be a delicacy in Goa).
But that wasn’t it.
As we walked along the rocky shore, what appeared to be just slippery moss on the rocks was actually a colony of zoanthids that are commonly found in coral reefs, the deep sea, and other marine environments. When they open up, they glitter like emeralds and are fascinating to watch. There were also colonies of polyps, plate corals, brittle stars, and palythoa – all of which I knew nothing about before this walk.
The highlight of the evening though was meeting a honeycomb moray eel (also known as the leopard moray) and a high-fin snake eel lurking in the shallow waters between rocks. Although many of my friends call me ‘eels’ for lack of a viable nickname for a three-letter name, I’ve never felt any particular affinity towards them. However, they are fascinating, mysterious creatures, and a quick online search revealed several interesting things about them. Scientists still don’t know exactly how they reproduce, and apparently their body undergoes major transformations throughout their lives. They are nocturnal, live in murky waters, and rarely seen – so I guess we got lucky. They have intricate courtship rituals - such as synchronized swimming (who would have thought!) - and are an important indicator of the health of both freshwater and marine habitats.
To think that the extraordinary world of tide pools exists so close to a beach where every other person there was oblivious to the rich biodiversity we were encountering on each step was truly humbling. It drove home the point that there’s so much to discover when we simply pay attention. Isn’t this our endless and proper work?
Mary Oliver
Loved it. Both the writing and the topic! Added to the Goa list of things to do. Reading this reminded me of reading Gerald Durrel and the fascination I felt.
You had me when you quoted Mary Oliver at the start. And then to think such experiences are in Goa - I am someone who gets bored in beach places. Now you have told me that there is something for me too. Thank you for this piece which is full of surprises like the tidepools themselves.