An amazing array of invertebrates (animals without backbones) live within Homer's intertidal zone-between the water's reach at high tide and the water's edge at low tide. All you need is a pair of rubber boots and a tide book to explore their world.
When
Low tide is prime time for tidepooling, when the receding water exposes creatures such as starfish, sea stars, sea cucumbers, and sea urchins-and maybe even an octopus. The lower the tide, the more you'll see, so check the book for "minus tides", meaning when low tide drops lower than average. For example, a "-2" means the tide falls two feet below the norm.
Where
China Poot Bay and Jakolof Bay offer great tidepooling opportunities, but these lie on the east side of Kachemak Bay, thus are accessible only by boat or plane. On the west side of the bay (near Homer), try the Coal Point area near Bishop's Beach, which is close to downtown. Or head just five miles north of Homer around Diamond Creek, which is part of Kachemak Bay State Park.
