Top 5 Tide Pools to Visit in Vancouver
By Willow Beck, Project and Administrative Coordinator, Sea Smart
Itching to get outside as the weather warms up? Fortunately, our city has plenty of beautiful spots to explore if you know where to look! Plan your tide pool visit to arrive at low-tide for the best chance to view all the intertidal critters that live there (check out daily low-tide times here).
Here are a few of our favourite spots for you and your family to check out!
WHYTECLIFF PARK
Located close to Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver, Whytecliff Park has plenty of walking trails, rocky cliffs with amazing views, and a beautiful beach. Below water, there is a rocky ridge that is great for beginner scuba divers to explore for a chance to view multiple sea star species, an anemone garden, urchins, and more. An exciting feature at Whytecliff Park is the island off the main beach. At low tide, a rocky walk-way emerges that leads to the island from the mainland. Be careful not to explore the island for too long, or you might have to swim back to shore!
Sea Smart students exploring tide poolsLIGHTHOUSE PARK
Also located in West Vancouver, Lighthouse Park offers strolls through an old-growth coastal forest rich in biodiversity. Large boulders surround the coastline making it the perfect spot for sunbathing while taking in spectacular views. There are plenty of trails to explore with unique look-outs at the end of each one. The surrounding water is a rock-fish protection area, but near the bluffs, there is a chance to check out some large, deep tide pools with sea stars, sculpins, crabs and anemones.
DEEP COVE
The view of the mountainous Burrard Inlet from the rocky beach at Deep Cove park is considered a “local secret” on the North Shore. Kayak rentals are available at the beach, opening up a world of exploration along the rocky shorelines around the bay and up the Indian Arm. The bay is quiet and serene, making it a perfect place to enjoy nature and spot wildlife. It’s not uncommon to see harbour seals swimming through the local marina. You can also see sea stars and crabs right from the pier as low tide exposes tide pools over a long stretch of the beach.
THIRD BEACH
This naturally sandy beach is located at Ferguson Point in Stanley Park, with lovely views of English Bay. The sandy substrate means that it’s harder to spot intertidal creatures here, but a rocky wall that juts out at the north end of the beach is a great place to view barnacles, mussels, and sea stars if you’re lucky. Low tide exposes the majority of the rocks. You can carefully lift rocks to spot small creatures hiding beneath, but be sure to gently replace the rocks where you found them. These creatures depend on these rocks to conceal them from predators!
ACADIA BEACH
Located between Spanish Banks and Wreck Beach on the northwest side of UBC, this beach is mostly rocky with lots of logs to scramble over. With spectacular views of the North Shore mountains, there is plenty to see looking down at the tide pools too! For a detailed description of the different species found here, check out the “Species Highlights” section in Sea Smart’s Explore the Shore Guides.
Low tide at Acadia Beach
MORE EXPLORE THE SHORE GUIDES
To motivate people to visit our local beaches this summer, Sea Smart developed three local guides to Acadia Beach, Kitsilano Beach, and English Bay. These guides include species identification, fun facts, and activities that are unique to each location! For an added layer of fun, try our ten-week Explore the Shore Challenge.
