Rock pools at Hilbre Island

What lives in the pools

• Living Seas North West lists red beadlet anemones, dog whelks and winkles, hermit crabs, mussels and barnacles, shrimps and prawns as the rock pool species to expect.
• Gobies are found in the pools, and larger pools may hold small plaice, dab and flounder, according to the same source.
• Sabellaria reef worms build grey crusts on the western shores. The council lists the honeycomb reef-building worm, Sabellaria alveolata, among the reserve's characteristic species.
• Seaweeds: the council records 38 hectares of tidal rock with more than 150 species of algae, some regionally rare and one nationally rare.

A rare habitat under pressure

The council says very few examples of rocky shore exist along the sand and mud coast of North West England and North Wales. Crevices, gullies, rock pools, vertical faces and overhangs each support a different seaweed community.

Its management plan lists silt smothering communities, Japanese wireweed, a reef worm that may be displacing other rocky shore species, and visitor trampling and ad hoc mollusc collection, which can harm fragile, slow-growing species.

How to rock pool responsibly

• Look, then leave. Do not collect shells, animals or seaweed. The byelaws prohibit taking or intentionally disturbing any living creature, and intentionally removing any material from the reserve. Friends of Hilbre ask you not to collect any living creature.
• Do not use nets. The byelaws prohibit spreading or using any net for the taking of a living creature.
• Step on bare rock where you can and avoid walking on worm crusts and seaweed beds.
• Keep dogs on a short lead and away from pools.
• Take all litter home. There are no bins on the islands.

Slippery rocks and cliffs

Wirral Council warns that rocks and mud can be slippery and advises against walking barefoot. Wear sturdy shoes with grip. Keep back from unstable cliff edges and keep to the established paths on the island.

Low tide is not the crossing window

Low water is when the sea is furthest out, but you cross within a set stretch around it. WalkHilbre's window opens 3 hours after high water and closes 3½ hours before the next high water, so visit the pools with time in hand. The tide can fill channels behind you before the visible route is covered.

WalkHilbre's calculated window opens 3 hours after high water and closes 3½ hours before the next high water. The close is the latest time to be back on the mainland at Dee Lane. Start back from Hilbre by the calculated leave-by time, 60 minutes before that. Rock pooling runs over time, so cut it short and start back by the leave-by time. An estimate — not permission to cross. Check the Dee Lane noticeboard before setting out.

Check today's calculated window and the Dee Lane noticeboard. Do not walk to the islands in the dark or fog, and be off the islands by 8pm.

Questions