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Barnegat Lighthouse State Park

Ocean County, New Jersey · United States

What have people found?

Portly spider crab, channeled whelk and common jingle turn up here more than at our other rock pools. Atlantic bay scallop, west atlantic surfclam and atlantic blue crab are the usual finds. ~63 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 Barnegat Lighthouse State Park for the next three days
  1. Sun 15 Novin the dark4:480.2 min the dark18:070.1 m
  2. Mon 16 Novin the dark5:450.2 min the dark18:560.1 m
  3. Tue 17 Nov6:510.2 min the dark19:450.1 m

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 March and December.

What should you know before visiting?

Parking is about 450 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 Barnegat Lighthouse State Park?

Species records from iNaturalist

Atlantic Bay ScallopArgopecten irradians
West Atlantic SurfclamSpisula solidissima
Atlantic Blue CrabCallinectes sapidus
Blue MusselMytilus edulis
Eastern OysterCrassostrea virginica
Asian Shore CrabHemigrapsus sanguineus
Portly Spider CrabLibinia emarginata
Channeled WhelkBusycotypus canaliculatus
European Green CrabCarcinus maenas
Atlantic Rock CrabCancer irroratus
Common JingleAnomia simplex
Northern Acorn BarnacleSemibalanus balanoides
Common Atlantic SlippersnailCrepidula fornicata
Forbes's Sea StarAsterias forbesi
Brown-lipped SnailCepaea nemoralis
Scan this rock pool on your next visit.

Every organism named, every visit logged to your journal.