just another American Princess

I stayed at Severin Sea Lodge near Mombasa a few weeks ago, and got up early to see the sunrise over the Indian Ocean.  This hotel is right on the beach, so it's just a few steps to the ocean. I didn't realize it was low tide due to the full moon, and therefore, all the tidepools were exposed. These cycles occur every two weeks around the new moon and full moon. Normally, tourists take glass bottom boats out to the ocean to see marine life, but this was a rare opportunity to see what lives at the bottom.

A couple local men guide tourists through these pools, and offered me an opportunity I couldn't pass up. It's the safest way to do this because they are experts and have learned how to share the creatures in a sustainable way.  Nothing gets harmed.


Tide pools are tiny ecosystems and can be a great way to introduce kids (and adults) to  marine life. They rely on the ebb and flow of the ocean for survival. The guides were able to easily see things I would have missed, a…