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Shell Beach

New South Wales · Australia

What have people found?

Pancake aphelodoris, giant sea tulip and splendid goniobranch turn up here more than at our other rock pools. Black-margined nudibranch, zebra top snail and lemon lolly doris are the usual finds. ~146 distinct species have been recorded here.

What is the best time to visit today?

Download the app to see the 7-day schedule.

See low tide times at Shell Beach for the next three days
  1. Mon 16 Nov~7:00in the dark~20:30
  2. Tue 17 Nov~8:00in the dark~21:30
  3. Wed 18 Nov~9:00in the dark~22:00

Every low tide each day, in local time at the shore.

Plan the week in Intertidal
  • A tide chart for every day, with the best window marked
  • Identify what you find from a photo
  • An alert when a good daylight low is coming

When do people visit?

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Most observations come from January and August.

What should you know before visiting?

Arrive 45 minutes to an hour before low tide and leave as it turns. The water comes back faster than it left.
Grippy shoes beat sandals. Wet rock and algae are more slippery than they look. Rock pool safety
A rock pool is a fragile place. Look and photograph, take nothing. The rockpooling code

What lives at Shell Beach?

Species records from iNaturalist

Black-margined NudibranchDoriprismatica atromarginata
Zebra Top SnailAustrocochlea porcata
Lemon Lolly DorisDoris chrysoderma
Clown DorisCeratosoma amoenum
Bennett's HypselodorisHypselodoris bennetti
Black neriteNerita melanotragus
Waratah AnemoneActinia tenebrosa
Neptune's necklaceHormosira banksii
Splendid GoniobranchGoniobranchus splendidus
Variegated limpetCellana tramoserica
Pancake AphelodorisAphelodoris varia
Purple Rock CrabLeptograpsus variegatus
Dwarf Cushion StarParvulastra exigua
Giant Sea TulipPyura spinifera
Common Sydney OctopusOctopus tetricus
Scan this rock pool on your next visit.

Every organism named, every visit logged to your journal.