Twice a day, tides seep across Acadia National Park’s rocky beaches and against its cliffs. When each tide recedes, some of the saltwater is left behind in depressions created by the rocks with sea animals trapped inside. These tidepools offer a glimpse into the otherwise hidden sea life just off the shore.
Day hikers can discover some of the park’s interesting marine wildlife by tidepooling. A great location to find tidepools is the 1.3 miles-round trip Wonderland Trail on Mount Desert Island.
To reach the trailhead, from Southwest Harbor head south on Main State Route 102. In Tremont, go left/south onto Maine State Route 102A. Roadside parking for the Wonderland trailhead is on the right/south. If you’ve reached the Seawall Campground, you’ve gone too far.
From the parking area, the trail heads southeast through coastal forest toward the Atlantic Ocean. You’re a mere 33 feet above sea level.
At 0.5 miles, the trail reaches a spur that leads you to a fairly sandy beach. It’s worth taking.
Starfish, dog whelks
Once back on the main trail, continue southeast onto a peninsula. Here the trail loops back around itself. Bennet Cove is on the loop’s north side.
Several spurs run off from the main trail to the peninsula’s rocky beach. That’s where you’ll find tidepools.
A variety of marine creatures – including sea stars, dog whelks, blue mussels and sea cucumbers – often are left behind in the tidepools.
Acadia is home to numerous species of starfish, including the Forbes sea star, which ranges in color from tan to reddish-brown. The park also is a great place to spot the northern sea star. Formerly called starfish, sea stars feed on mussels and are considered a keystone species.
Dog whelks are a species of sea snails typically found in the park’s intertidal zone. These small- to medium-sized gastropods are usually gray or black and have distinctive spiral shells that help protect them from predators. Dog whelks feed on barnacles, mussels, and other mollusks, and have an important role in keeping the coastal ecosystem healthy.
Blue mussels, sea cucumbers, rockweed
Blue mussels are an essential part of the local ecology, providing sustenance to numerous species including fish, birds, and other invertebrates. These mollusks play an important role in the food chain by filtering nutrients from the water column, which helps maintain the coastal waters’ health and clarity.
Sea cucumbers also play an important role in Acadia’s aquatic ecosystem, providing food for species like crabs and lobsters while helping regulate sediment levels on the seafloor. They filter out organic matter from their environment and excrete nutrients like nitrogen, making them essential for coastal habitats.
Rockweed, a brown seaweed common along the coastlines of the northern Atlantic, also can be found in tidepools. The plant provides shelter and food to a variety of organisms, including fish, crustaceans and seabirds. The seaweed plays an essential role in Acadia’s ecosystem by helping maintain shoreline stability and providing habitat for other species.
Tidepooling isn’t a 24/7 experience. You have to time it to the low tide, from about 90 minutes before to 90 minutes after. Tide times change daily, so check online or at the ranger station for a tide chart specific to Southwest Harbor, Maine.
Tidepooling Tips
Whenever tidepooling, be sure to play it safe for the wildlife’s sake as well as you’re own:
• Wash off sunscreen, hand sanitizer and bug spray from your hands before dipping them into a tidepool. Not doing so introduces harmful chemicals to the pool.
• Stay out of the tidepools. Wading in them can disrupt the marine animals; you even could step on them. Humans belong on the rocks.
• Say “no” to collecting. You can pick up and touch the animals but never take them home with you. If everyone collected animals in the tidepool, the offshore ecosystem would quickly crash.
• Leave no trace. Do not dump litter or other objects into the tidepool or leave them on the surrounding rocks. Polluting a tidepool harms the animals in it.
• Remain cognizant of ocean waves and surf. They can quickly sweep you into the Atlantic where you can drown. When the tide rises, the time to leave has arrived.
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