Explore San Diego Tide Pools with a Marine Biologist
Overview
Available languages
1 hour
Mobile ticket
Adventure with a marine biology educator along the coast and learn more about wildlife living in the intertidal zone of San Diego. Great for all ages and skill levels. There are some stairs and lots of uneven terrain we will walk on, so this is not a wheelchair-friendly activity.
I taught middle and high school marine biology for more than a decade before committing to environmental tourism! With fifteen years of teaching youth and adults in outdoor education settings, plus my background in conservation biology, provides guests with in-depth (pun intended) knowledge of marine life during our tide pool exploration.
**Important: After booking you will receive a welcome message with important details. Be sure to have notifications and/or emails from your booking platform turned on!**
Additional Info
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Explore the fascinating world of tide pools and discover the incredible variety of animal and plant life that inhabit these unique ecosystems! With guided tours for all ages, you'll learn about different species that live in the tide pools, their adaptations to survive in this environment, and what you can do to protect them. So come join us and experience the wonders of the tide pools! Tide pools, or rocky intertidal zones, are small collections of ocean water trapped by rocks as the ocean level recedes. This area is covered by the ocean half of the day- during high tide- and the pools are exposed at low tide, which creates a unique, yet fragile, habitat for lots of small invertebrates and fish. At our meeting spot, you will receive a brief talk on safety and tide pool rules, as all San Diego tide pools have a strict "no collection" policy. Once we understand how to tide pool safely and respectfully, the adventure begins! Any living animals found will be left on their own; we do not interfere, touch, or handle any living marine life, following Viator's Animal Welfare Policy.
What‘s Included
Digital photo album
Gratuities
closed-toe shoes/strapped sandals that might get wet (required to participate)
Options
Explore San Diego Tide Pools with a Marine Biologist
Reviews
193 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Awesome tour- highly recommend
brittanybZ850SI,,Feb 18, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Matt was wonderful to take this tour with! He was attentive and engaging with my kids and their questions and showed us SO many great things in the tide pools. We would definitely take another tour with him and HIGHLY recommend his tour. Thanks so much Matt!!
An excellent and safe adventure.
Carolyn S,,Feb 13, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Matt is an excellent guide who has a wealth of information about the creatures and plant life in the Tidal pools. He was very helpful in making sure we were comfortable and safe as we walked over sandstone and wet areas.
Fun, engaging, and educational experience at La Jolla tide pools!
Companion17697616690,,Feb 12, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Had so much fun exploring the tide pools with our guide, Matt. He was knowledgable, respectful of the wildlife, and excited about marine life! Thanks to Matt, we saw some awesome critters, learned about tide pool ecosystems, and enjoyed a beautiful day on a La Jolla shore.
Informative and interesting!
laurann727,,Feb 4, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Matt was a great teacher who excelled at connecting with both kids and adults. I learned some cool things and found it very interesting. I think we all had hoped to see larger animals, but that’s how it is with nature.
A delightful beachside adventure
peteryQ7581KR,,Jan 25, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I had an amazing time, my only complaint is that it had to end! This tour is so incredibly worth the price, it was an extremely unique experience that I highly recommend. Matt's passion for and deep knowledge about tide pools is extremely apparent, as is his ability to explain/answer any questions I had in a very understandable way. 10/10 would go again!
We had an awesome time on...
Lauren S,,Jan 23, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00We had an awesome time on our tide pool tour! Matt was a fantastic guide and is extremely knowledgeable about all things marine-related. We even had the pleasure of seeing him a second time when we went tide pooling on our own, and he showed us a lobster he found with another group. Highly recommend!
Fun at the tide pools
raymondbF4819VQ,,Jan 17, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00It was super fun! We saw a lot of really cool critters. The giant snails were awesome! The tide pools are awesome and a must visit
Learned about tide pools, free to roam or listen, nice to have someone knowledgeable near by to ask questions if needed
D5606LQpaulak,,Jan 13, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00It was so fun! I’m so glad I was able to learn about the tide pools before exploring them more on my own. Matt was awesome and such a good teacher. The group was great and overall 100% worth it and would go again.
Inspiring experience with Snorkel Matt!
brads162077,,Jan 1, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Very cool way to start our vacation, especially for our teen kids who are interetsed in marine biology. Matt introduced us to tide pooling, and we spent many more hours on our own during the remainder of our trip exploring the tidal pools. Relaxing and educational. Thank you, Matt!
Very cool time exploring the La Jolla tide pools
go klahanie,,Dec 22, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I love tide pooling but I'm not from the area so having a local expert, Matt, a marine biologist, as a guide was essential. He knew all about the flora and fauna we saw. Plus he had a great eye and saw things the rest of us in the group missed. Matt was a pleasure to be around. If you can swing it do this!
From US$32.00
Want a private experience? Upgrade to a private tour
Related Experiences
Operated by SnorkelMatt