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Poortjies Beach (Lagoon)

Garden Route District Municipality, Western Cape · South Africa

What have people found?

Patchwork cuttlefish, common sandprawn and hedgpeth's dorid turn up here more than at our other rock pools. Ragged seahare, common sand hermit crab and spiny starfish are the usual finds. ~94 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 Poortjies Beach (Lagoon) for the next three days
  1. Sun 15 Novin the dark~0:30~13:00
  2. Mon 16 Novin the dark~1:30~14:00
  3. Tue 17 Novin the dark~2:30~16:00

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 July.

What should you know before visiting?

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 Poortjies Beach (Lagoon)?

Species records from iNaturalist

Ragged SeahareBursatella leachii
Common Sand Hermit CrabDiogenes brevirostris
Spiny StarfishMarthasterias africana
Common OctopusOctopus vulgaris
Eyed SeahareAplysia oculifera
Patchwork CuttlefishSepia vermiculata
smooth plough shellBullia rhodostoma
Cape sea urchinParechinus angulosus
Hedgpeth's DoridPolycera hedgpethi
Blue-margin Headshield SlugPhilinopsis speciosa
Giant Hairy Triton SnailMonoplex parthenopeus
Blunt-end SeahareDolabella auricularia
Common SandprawnKraussillichirus kraussi
Shore CrabCyclograpsus punctatus
Four-colour NudibranchGodiva quadricolor
Scan this rock pool on your next visit.

Every organism named, every visit logged to your journal.