I have just finished the final piece of my drop of life series. The piece felt very personal, as my curiosity for the ocean stemmed from exploring the magical world of rockpools. So I thought it was only right to dedicate an entire blog article to this topic. Explore this video on my instagram page to experience the moment you pass the surface of the water, when everything becomes suddenly clear, an important aspect of the #dropoflife2022 series and why rockpools mean so much to me, plus the final painting.
Then explore the rest of this blog, where I reveal some of the hidden gems found in rockpools...
Seaweeds-
there are a multitude of seaweeds in rockpools, normally green and red alga. My
favourite is Irish moss. Deep maroon in colour the fronds often have iridescent
blue that glints in the sunlight. Common green seaweeds include sea lettuce and
gutweed or ulva. Fish and prawns use these areas to hide and different seaweeds are present at different locations along the tideline.
Check out the blue shine in the right of this image.
Anemones – these are a beautiful addition to any rockpool
and use their tentacles to eat passing prey. The most common species I’ve seen are
Beadlet anemones but keep a look out for strawberries which have seedlike
markings on the stem. In deeper pools snakelock anemones maybe present (blue
and green with purple) which can give a nettle like sting. Hence, it’s best not
to poke anemones as a general rule.
Crustaceans – I have found that crabs are only present in large rockpools under rocks but I rarely see them. Common prawns are reliably present in rockpools. They have transparent body with brown and blue stripes making them colourful but subtle to spot. If you see lucky you can spot hermit crabs too! Hermit crabs are best watched as once they’re picked up they will not emerge for a long time.
Shells – it’s important not to take shells from the seashore. Sea snails are normally present inside guarding themselves
with a door like end to their foot. Empty shells provide important houses for
hermit crabs! The shells with a pointed end or groove are dog whelks which
burrow into limpets for lunch. Limpets are a common site across rocky shores
and carve a groove into their piece of rock, this “home scar” is made to help
them retain water when the tide goes out, so don’t pry them off!
Keep an eye out for unusual rock pool inhabitants... This compass jellyfish must have got stranded in this rockpool providing some gorgeous reflections. Always take care around jellyfish, best not to move or touch, as they can sting.
Check out this little worm on the right, next to a fish of course, #obsessed.
Fish - fish are probably the most charismatic rockpool inhabitants.
You can spot blennies hiding in the rocks. Blennies are well camouflaged and two species are usually present. Tompot blennies have eye stalks...
...whereas shanny blennies don't. All blennies are hard to spot and swim away when disturbed. I once found these two species in a rockpool no bigger than a postcard. Amazing!
There can be gobies too, which differ slightly in the way they move and look.
Larger rockpools can be important nursery areas for shoaling fish too.
So next time you see these pools amongst the rocks, remember each is an ocean in miniature. A magical snow globe or fish bowl sized portion of the huge ocean full of hidden treasures.
Below are a few top tips for exploring rockpools safely...
You need to respect the animals you are exploring in rock pools, you can do this by following these 8 top tips...
1. Look first, you can often see more from looking down into rockpools
2. Make sure you are stable and sure footed, rockpools can be hard to access and rocks can be covered in sharp barnacles
3. If you’re getting more involved, make sure your hands are clean and not covered in chemicals like suncream
4. Never remove water, these species rely on the water present in the pool to breathe and removing water can alter the temperature affecting the survival of the inhabitants
5. Don’t remove any species from rock pools, this stress can cause them harm
Here is the finished piece for my drop of lifes series, thank you rockpools for all you show me.
