Tide pools in Myrtle Beach area great for a dip, view sea creatures. Where to find them
In Myrtle Beach, spending time at the beach usually means swimming in the ocean, laying in the sun or fishing. But if you know the right place, you can also hang out at tide pools.
Tide pools in the Myrtle Beach area are different than the ones you would find along the rocky coasts in Washington state or Maine. Instead, they’re little pools of water within the sand, said Myrtle Beach State Park Ranger Ann Wilson. They allow for a smaller, safer swimming area or a place to see sea creatures.
Although there are reliable spots, it’s not always a guarantee that tide pools will form. The beaches are “dynamic,” meaning pools tend to come and go, Wilson said.
When looking for tide pools, make sure to go at low tide. Wilson recommended looking at the tide charts and going during the lowest tide of the month.
Here are some places where you can find them:
Cherry Grove
Cherry Grove Point in North Myrtle Beach is heralded as one of the best spots for tide pools in the Myrtle Beach area. Wilson, as well as other locals, said it’s great.
Jenny Williams said she loves the Cherry Grove tidal pools because it allows her family to have the beach experience without having to go in the ocean. Her 9-year-old son is autistic and afraid of the ocean so the tide pools allow him a place to swim and play besides the pool.
You can also head a little south to the beach along 62nd Avenue North in North Myrtle Beach and find tide pools there as well.
Huntington Beach Jetty
The jetty at Huntington Beach State Park is one of the only places where rocky tide pools can be found in the Myrtle Beach area. A jetty is a man-made structure that extends from the shoreline into a body of the water. The one at Huntington Beach State Park is surrounded by rocks.
Wilson said the jetty is a “pretty reliable” place to see wildlife. The rocks can sometimes form tide pools that trap wildlife like sea stars and hermit crabs that aren’t normally seen on the beach. It’s also possible to see immature green sea turtles hanging around the Jetty, Wilson said.
Pawleys Island
Another of Wilson’s favorite is the beach at Pawleys Island. She loves going to inlets and marshy areas for tide pools. This may be why the best tide pool spots are located on the far north and far south end of the Myrtle Beach area.
What wild life you may see
Within tide pools, there’s a lot of different wildlife to view. Wilson said people should “hand grab” sea stars, meaning pick them up by the middle of their body and not their points. Also make sure to leave behind anything that is alive.
Possible sea life:
- Moon snails
- Sea stars
- Coquina clams
- Whelks
- Lettered olives
- Keyhole urchins
- Crabs
- Various snails and clams
