Andrew’s Rock Pool

Andrew and Simon explore a rock pool with Mum at low tide. They stand on a flat dry rock and look into the clear water.

A small brown crab moves beside a patch of seaweed. Andrew points to it, but Simon can only see a dark shadow.

“Try looking from this side,” says Mum. The boys move carefully around the pool, keeping away from slippery rocks.

From the new spot, Simon sees the crab’s claws. It walks sideways and slips underneath a stone.

Andrew wants to lift the stone to see it again. Mum explains that the stone is a shelter, so they leave it where it is.

They wait without touching the water or the seaweed. Soon the crab comes out and finds a tiny scrap of food.

Simon watches its legs while Andrew notices how its claws move. They tell Mum what they have seen before walking back to the sand.

“We did not have to lift anything,” says Andrew. The crab kept its shelter, and they still learned something new.