Book 6, Question 8
Why Do Tide Pools Appear?
When the tide drops, some seawater stays trapped in rocky bowls. Those bowls become tiny leftover oceans. Animals wait there until the sea comes back.
From the book
Page from A Million Whys Book 6
More fun facts
- Tide pools form in dips along rocky coasts and fill with seawater that gets trapped when the tide goes out.
- They are found in the intertidal zone, where the ocean meets the land.
- Some intertidal strips are only a few yards wide and get covered and uncovered by the tides every day.
- At high tide, tide pool animals get fresh seawater but must survive crashing waves and hungry fish.
- Tide pools on Alcatraz Island, partly made from rocky rubble, are home to more than 50 kinds of animals without backbones.
- The best time to visit tide pools is at low tide.
Sources: NOAA Ocean Service, National Geographic, National Park Service
Questions kids ask
When is the best time to see a tide pool?
At low tide, when the water pulls back and the pools are left behind.