Fabulous Low Tide Creatures

Low tide around Indian Island is a phenomenal experience for nature lovers. It’s ever-important to treat all creatures gently out there, and docents look after the area to make sure locals and visitors are extremely conscientious. When the tide goes out, you only have a few hours to look around before the water starts creeping in again. Before you know it, the window closes.

These are called plainfin midshipman fish, or humming toadfish. They are quite stunning, dotted with bioluminescent patterns on their bellies. You’ve just got to read about them and listen to them here. Our son found them attached to the underside of a rock, their large purple mother guarding them in the space beneath it. The next day he came back again at low tide to see them. The mother was not there, but the babies were still moist and active under that rock awaiting the tide’s return. Some had naturally detached, ready to begin life on their own, so my son collected them to put them in the water so they wouldn’t dry out, then turned the rock back over to keep the attached ones safe from exposure.