You never know what you might discover when you go exploring!
We were enjoying a family outing at Waitarakao, near Timaru in 2020, exploring the rock pools with our girls when something caught our attention. At first, it looked like a piece of seaweed moving in the water...
Chris took a closer look. It wasn't seaweed at all. It was an octopus!
We watched, fascinated, as it moved through the shallow water, changing shape and blending into the seaweed around it. What a wonderful surprise to find something so extraordinary, practically on our doorstep.
Octopuses are such incredible creatures. With eight arms, soft bodies and an extraordinary ability to change colour and texture, they are masters of camouflage. They can squeeze into surprisingly small spaces and use their sensitive suckers to investigate their surroundings.
Find Free Fun! Go exploring at low tide
Rock pools are little worlds of their own. Depending on where you explore, you might discover crabs, anemones, shellfish, sea stars, small fish and, if you're particularly lucky, an octopus!
The best time to investigate is around low tide, when more of the rocky shore is exposed. Wear shoes with good grip, watch the waves and leave marine creatures where you find them. Observe gently without disturbing their homes.
Our family outing didn't cost us anything, but it's an experience we'll remember for years. That's what WuHoo Timaru is all about. Getting outside, enjoying the places around us and discovering something we didn't know was there.
Next time you're at the coast, take a closer look. You never know what might be hiding amongst the seaweed!
Photos: Our family exploring Waitarakao and the octopus we discovered in a rock pool.
