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Neck Point

Regional District of Nanaimo, British Columbia · Canada

What have people found?

East pacific red octopus, western sea slater and white-lined dirona turn up here more than at our other rock pools. Ochre sea star, aggregating anemone and leather star are the usual finds. ~165 distinct species have been recorded here, across at least 6 years of observations.

What is the best time to visit today?

Download the app to see the 7-day schedule.

Modeled while the Nanaimo Harbour gauge loads. Sources.

See low tide times at Neck Point for the next three days
  1. Sun 15 Novin the dark~3:30
  2. Mon 16 Novin the dark~4:30
  3. Tue 17 Novin the dark~5:00in the dark~21:00

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 April and May.

What should you know before visiting?

Paid parking is about 500 meters away.
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 Neck Point?

Species records from iNaturalist

Ochre Sea StarPisaster ochraceus
Aggregating AnemoneAnthopleura elegantissima
Leather StarDermasterias imbricata
Red Rock CrabCancer productus
Mottled StarEvasterias troschelii
Monterey DoridDoris montereyensis
Northern Kelp CrabPugettia producta
Purple Shore CrabHemigrapsus nudus
RockweedFucus distichus
Yellow Shore CrabHemigrapsus oregonensis
Western Sea SlaterLigia occidentalis
White-lined DironaDirona albolineata
Pacific Banana SlugAriolimax columbianus
Japanese WireweedSargassum muticum
East Pacific Red OctopusOctopus rubescens
Scan this rock pool on your next visit.

Every organism named, every visit logged to your journal.