How to Respect the Beach

When exploring beaches, you have a great opportuntity to see the smaller members of marine life wriggling under rocks, in shells or in the sand—from razor clams to starfish and other critters of the sea.

Tips

Here are some tips on making the most of it, while respecting the beach itself:

• Go at low tide. That's when you can see little tidepools of water near rocks, where little critters thrive. But here's how to be kind to the beach:
• If you overturn a rock to see what's perhaps living underneath, put the rock back face down, exactly as you found it (otherwise, anything clinging to the rock could die). Stick with small or medium-sized rocks.
• Watch your step—so you don't step on any living things.
• Same goes for any creature you pick up. If you don't put it back exactly where it was, it may die.
• Don't take any living thing with you—say, a razor clam, unless you have a permit.
• Don't take any shells or rocks with you, either. Even though you can't see it, there may be something living inside it—or at the very least, you're taking away a future shelter.