Family-friendly experience where you can learn about life in tide pools from a marine biologist with over 20 years of combined science, education, and museum experience. Great for all ages! 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. **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!**
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Explore San Diego Tide Pools with a Marine Biologist lasts about 1 hour.
Prices start at $34 per person for this La Jolla experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
The meeting point is Please meet me at the green gazebo / large open sidewalk (ocean side of the street) across from 333 Coast Boulevard. The curb is painted red, so if you don't see a red curb you are not at the meeting location! I will be wearing a blue backpack with a blue flag. Hotel pickup is not part of this experience.
The experience is available in EN.
It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 30 participants.
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Travellers rate it 5.0 out of 5 across 266 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor; it is run by SnorkelMatt.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
As a local, I am so glad I did this tour with an expert. Matt was able to identify all the creatures that we pointed out during the tour. He is very knowledgable with marine life from his background and previous teaching career. Highlight was seeing a googly-eyed lobster!
Thank you so much! I'm thrilled that you found the experience enjoyable, especially as a San Diego local!
The tide pool tour was informative and very fun! It started right on time and we had a busy hour tour.
Thank you Gretchen, it was great hosting you at the tide pools!
Matt is a lovely guide! He is very knowledgeable about the creatures of the ocean. He sent clear instructions for the meeting point and provided us with a great time. On our trip snorkeling Mission Bay, we saw fish, jellyfish, some fun little creatures, and there was a juvenile octopus, although it was a bit hard to see. He took pictures of everyone throughout the trip and sent personalized albums a couple days after the trip. It was fun to get in the ocean and learn with Matt! Recommend.
Thank you so much Arianna! It was great hosting you both in the bay on our snorkel. Stoked you found the pre-trip instructions helpful and enjoyed the photo album!
Scheduling the one-hour guided tour with Matt was the perfect motivator to set the alarm and explore the tide pools while learning what to look for and how to respect the environment. The group size was good and it was a good level of detail for adults and young elementary aged!
Thank you! Glad everyone in the family enjoyed the experience - summertime tide pooling usually happens very early in San Diego!
Matt was such a knowledgable and patient guide. He was able to help us identify marine life that we would have never known on our own. He was able to navigate and support a large group, including my active 10 year old and my 70-year-old mother in law with mobility concerns. The location was easy to access as was parking. And he took wonderful pictures he shared with us. I would 5 out 5 stars recommend to anyone!
Thank you so much Rachel! I'm thrilled that everyone in the family enjoyed the experience. Keep exploring!
Matt was amazing, shared so much information with us. My kids, 10 and 16, both loved it, so did my husband and I. Truly fantastic experience!
Heidi thanks for the review! It was great hosting you all at the tide pools :)
Matt gave us an unforgettable experience that was truly the highlight of our trip to San Diego. My 16 year old son is an aspiring marine biologist, and after the tour he said it was his favorite part of the entire vacation, which says everything. Matt’s passion for marine life is contagious. He has an incredible ability to spot and identify fascinating creatures we would have walked right past, while explaining everything in a way that was engaging, educational and fun. He was enthusiastic and happy to answer every question. The photos he provided afterward were an amazing bonus and captured memories we will treasure for years. If you’re visiting San Diego and have any interest in marine life, this is an absolute must. Thank you, Matt, for such a memorable experience!
Hi Erin, thank you very much for the kind review! Stoked that your 16-year old enjoyed the tide pools - it can certainly be a challenge to impress young adults, especially with our 6am start time. Enjoy the photo album and hope to host you both the next time you're in San Diego!
Our guide Matt introduced us to the incredibly unique tide pool ecosystem! It was super interesting and I will absolutely go again. We saw different types of fish, lobster, sea stars, snails, and more. It was especially fun to go with someone who is an expert!
Thank you! We were definitely treated by the tide pools that morning, with all the marine life we encountered!
Matt is excellent. Would highly recommend him!
Thank you very much! Keep on exploring!
Matt made this a very special experience. He was super friendly and knowledgeable. He remembered all of our names (like how!?) and engaged all of us, even our 3 year old. This experience was super cool in general, but Matt made it remarkable. I would highly recommend this tour with Matt. He even took really cool candid photos of our family that I’m thankful to have. Two thumbs up!
Thank you very much Danielle - thrilled you enjoyed the tour and photo album!
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Explore San Diego Tide Pools with a Marine Biologist | 1 hour | 5.0 (266) | $34 | |
 San Diego Tide Pool Tour | 2 hours | 5.0 (2) | $149 | View |
 Chauffeured Adventure to Local San Diego Vineyards | 5 hours | 4.9 (81) | $246 | View |
 Private Sunset Sail in San Diego Up to 6 guests | 2 hours | 5.0 (73) | $298 | View |
 Small Group Beach Yoga in San Diego | 1h 30min | 5.0 (59) | $45 | View |
 Spectacular Sunset Sail on San Diego Bay | 2 hours | 5.0 (41) | $120 | View |
 Spectacular Afternoon Sail on San Diego Bay | 2 hours | 5.0 (22) | $120 | View |