Exploring Pt Holmes, Comox, BC at low tide

by Keith and Heather Nicol

Heather snorkeling off Pt Holmes

   Point Holmes is our go to place to head out sea kayaking since there is a boat launch there which allows you to launch a boat on just about any tide. Note that when the wind is from the southeast or south that this boat launch faces directly into any waves coming in from those directions. However since the summer wind is typically from the north or north west this ramp is ideal.  But this area is also interesting to explore at low tide since there are rocky outcrops that have created interesting tidal pools where you can find all kinds of varied marine life. We have found that it is a perfect place to see ochre sea stars which are slowly recovering from a large die off a few years ago. You can also see small fish, crabs, many varieties of colourful seaweed. 

Egg cast from the moon snail in 1 meter of water

Lately we have also been trying some snorkeling in this area as well. We have used shorty style wet suits since the water can be on the cool side.  We saw several egg casts of the moon snail which look like discarded pottery bowls.  They are quite striking to see on the ocean floor.   Over the last few days the low tide has been around 0.5 meters which means that if you swim out you can see organisms that would never be exposed to the air. So check out this area if you like exploring tidal pools and bring your snorkel and mask if you like snorkeling.  For those people that are new to the Comox Valley – Pt Holmes is located on Lazo Road and Southwind Road and there is a large parking lot with area for boat trailers on the non water side of the road. There are also several picnic tables and benches.  

Orche sea stars can be seen in the shallow water at low tide and in some tidal pools