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Rockpooling: A window to another world

4 Apr 2023

2 minute read

Orkney, a Young Ocean Optimist Award runner-up, is passionate about the ocean and protecting its inhabitants. From beach cleans to rockpooling, he's written a blog to explain what he gets up to on the Isles of Scilly.

I moved to St Mary’s in the Isles of Scilly when I was three years old.

I started to go rockpooling with my Mum and Dad and it became something I loved to do. I wanted to read about everything we were finding, so I started watching videos and reading blogs of other people rockpooling and what they found.

We walk on the beach and around the coastal paths every day, and there’d normally be some litter that had washed up. I started to collect any that I found, because I wanted to make sure I was helping to protect the animals I loved finding when I was rockpooling.

Orkney - starfish

Credit: Samaya Reid

People don’t realise how much wildlife there is in rockpools because a lot of it is so small and you have to really look for it, so the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust asked me to do some videos to show what we find when we go rockpooling.

I also show people how to rockpool in the kindest way that doesn’t disturb the animals and how important it is to leave everything the way you found it.

Now, people come out rockpooling with me and my family and I love showing them the awesome wildlife we have here.

  • Anenome - rockpooling

    Credit: Samaya Reid

  • Starfish - rockpooling

    Credit: Samaya Reid

  • Nudibranch - rockpooling

    Credit: Samaya Reid

Whenever it’s been stormy, lots of rubbish gets washed up, so I take a big bucket to the beach and collect all the rubbish we find.

Some things have come from really far away - one time, I found a tin of chopped lemons that had come from China and a yellow hard hat that was from Canada!

We put any of the beach litter that can be recycled in the right recycling bins and take the rest home because I want to make a huge piece of artwork using the litter we’ve found.

Orkney beach clean

Credit: Samaya Reid

I think I might make a big humpback whale and I’m hoping it’ll be a good way to show how important it is to put your rubbish in the bin, and how doing a beach clean makes a really big difference.

When I go rockpooling, my favourite thing to find is nudibranchs, which are tiny and hard to spot but really colourful and bright.

The best thing I’ve ever found is a common lobster because they’re my favourite animal – it’s hard to find them in a rockpool and it was the first time I ever saw one!

Lobster - rockpooling

Credit: Samaya Reid

One day I want to be a rockpool scientist so I can carry on showing people how amazing rockpooling is and how many species of marine wildlife you can find, because I think once people see the animals for themselves, it makes them want to protect our ocean even more.

Want to try rockpooling for yourself?

Check out our rockpooling guide

Did you know that we also stock The Essential Guide to Rockpooling on our Seasearch shop, at a reduced price from RRP and with all proceeds going back in to our Seasearch programme. Grab your copy today!

Want to try rockpooling yourself?

Rockpooling guide