Take a walk on the tide’s wild...

Take a walk on the tide’s wild side Sunday when the Cabrillo Marine Museum offers the first of four tide-pool tours to be offered through March.

Barnacles, limpets, hermit crabs and “tide-pool johnnies” all await visitors to their watery neighborhood in the Point Fermin Marine Life Refuge.

A tide pool is simply “an area along the shore where water gets trapped when the tide goes out,” explained Steve Vogel, museum education curator.

“To the uninitiated, it’s just a hole in the rock with some water in it,” he said. “But once you know what you’re looking for, you’ll see there are actually some critters in there that you’ll like if you get to know them.”

These seaside creatures, revealed only during low tide, are often overlooked by beach-goers who may be more interested in the sun above than in the complex and sometimes hidden life below. The museum’s tide-pool walks should encourage the swim-and-surf crowd to “notice what they’ve been walking on,” Vogel said.

Visitors interested in taking an hourlong tour of tide pools will first view a slide show introducing them to the intricacies of the beachfront environment.

“We try to keep it as entertaining and disgusting as possible to make sure everyone remembers something” to share during the tide-pool walk, Vogel said.

During the walk, tide-poolers may gently turn over rocks or stir up water to invite the creatures to emerge. Only one rule applies: No collecting. Visitors must leave behind any marine acquaintances they meet during the tour.

Museum staff will guide visitors on how to make the most of their trek. For example: How do you make pals with a hermit crab?

Gently scoop the animal up in a handful of water. Once the crab has relaxed in its new environment, it may venture out and take a stroll up your arm.

Tide-poolers may also discover animals that are in the look-but-don’t-touch category, such as the sea hare, a large, hermaphrodite slug that grows up to 30 pounds. Smaller, less formidable hares squirt a gooey red ink that becomes a chemical irritant to offenders.

The tide pools are also home to an occasional octopus.

“We had a resident octopus,” Vogel said. “I think he’s gone now, but who knows? Someone else might have moved in.”

Today’s walk will take place from noon to 2 p.m. Future walks are scheduled for Feb. 7 from 3 to 4:30 p.m, Feb. 28 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. and March 21 from 1:30 to 3 p.m.

Tour admission is $1, and children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult. Non-skid shoes and outdoor clothing are recommended. For further information, call (310) 548-7562. The museum is on Cabrillo Beach at 3720 Stephen White Drive in San Pedro.