Rockpooling in Torbay

chooonz · #1 (**permalink**) 13-08-2008, 12:15 PM

Hi all,

I moved down to Torquay for the summer to get some serious rockpooling done. I'm nuts about rockpooling. I'm basically a 33 year old boy when I get down onto the shore.

Anyway, I'm posting for two reasons.
Firstly, to give some tips for good rockpooling areas down here, and secondly to see if anyone is interested in meeting up at some point in late summer to go cove to cove (preferably on foot or by bike), seeing what we can find and perhaps taking photos of the best specimens (I'll buy a macro lens for this if needs be).

So, a short guide to rockpooling by cove/beach in Torbay and surrounding areas.

Torquay beach on the rocky area around Corbyn Head.
Very good for pipefish from Spring into summer and a good spread of all types of crab you would commonly find.
Also very good for eels (good luck catching them though), Blennies and also fairly good for common starfish and cushion stars.

Meadfoot Beach
Currently my favourite rockpooling beach.
Exceptionally good for large velvet swimming crabs (7" shells not uncommon), edible crabs (8" plus), all types of other commonly found crabs, fairly good for pipefish, good for Blennies (found a 9" fish a few weeks back), good for cushion stars, common starfish and brittle stars.
Very good for squat lobsters of all sizes.
Very good for young shrimps and lobsters and also large common prawns.
I highly recommend this beach if you like diversity and especially if you like the challenge of catching an enormous (and very agressive) velvet swimming crab. Just be sure that if you want to keep the V S crabs for a while, you use a separate bucket as they WILL snip off the limbs of anything else you put in there.

St Mary's Bay
This is a very good beach if you enjoy catching large numbers of crabs(!) as there are many, many large rocks which can be overturned at the south of the bay, and some large exposed rockpools at low tide which are good for blennies. Also, here you'll find brittle stars in high numbers and plenty of prawns.

Churston Cove
Very good at low tide for pretty much anything, including shore clingfish and 5 bearded rocklings and the icing on the cake: seahorses. A good bay for snorkelling.

Well that's it for now. Back to work.

ron1863 · #2 (**permalink**) 13-08-2008, 01:18 PM

Hi chooonz and welcome to WAB.
I think we all become big kids where rock pools are concerned. I love turning rocks over to see what I can find and crabs are my favourite. I live too far away from your neck of the woods though.

NickCantle · #3 (**permalink**) 13-08-2008, 01:27 PM

I too live a fair stint from Torquay, but this is a great thread with some excellent information- thanks and if I'm ever rockpooling in the area, I'll follow some of your tips

nightshade · #4 (**permalink**) 13-08-2008, 02:18 PM

I love rockpooling, my grown up sons suddenly become children again, it is one of the few wildlife interests that they are really interested in

badger426 · #5 (**permalink**) 13-08-2008, 02:38 PM

Watch out for the Portugese man o' war reported on the news today.

Badger.

Geoff F · #6 (**permalink**) 13-08-2008, 02:52 PM

The area between Start Point and Prawle Point, a few miles west of Torbay, is frequently recommended as worth a visit, and is on the Coast path. But, not easily accessible, with narrow country roads and limited parking. Although not too bad if you avoid peak season.

Force Eleven · #7 (**permalink**) 18-08-2008, 05:45 PM

Wow what a post choonz! I'll be travelling down there next year to do some proper rockpooling

Thanks for that handy little guide!

Dutchess · #8 (**permalink**) 18-08-2008, 05:52 PM

We have fairly rocky bits of coast down this way and it's great to go exploring....But you make my forays look like small fry! (pun intended

) What exciting finds you have....but shouldn't that be called "Madfoot Beach"??? Those Velvet Crabs sound awesomely fierce

Well, I wish I lived closer to you, Choonz!

D.

demicav · #9 (**permalink**) 18-08-2008, 07:09 PM

Sounds like a great area for rockpooling. We've recently returned from Devon and did visit Torquay but my daughter got sun stroke on that day so we didn't do much of anything. Worth keeping in mind for the future though.

deer boy · #10 (**permalink**) 18-08-2008, 07:16 PM

I remember watching Hands on Nature or Nature's calendar a while ago & Mike Dilger (I think it was him) went rockpooling somewhere in britain.
He was swimming in the rockpool it was so big

If only i could remember where it was to????? I'm sure someone else will know