Rockpool Ranger coastal adventures

At Crustacean Compassion, much of our work to protect crabs, lobsters, and other decapod crustaceans has focused on legislative and industry change. We want to improve the practices these animals face before they end up on our plates. But what if, we also looked at them as animals in their own right, in their natural habitats? With our ambitious new strategy, we’re widening our work to also protect them in the wild too.  

Rockpooling with care 

That’s where our Rockpool Ranger campaign comes in, with the key message ‘Peek, don’t poke’. In May 2025, Defra announced new reforms banning the use of decapod crustaceans and cephalopods such as squid and octopus in zoo or aquarium touch pools. Research has shown that handling these animals is harmful, and can cause pain and distress. If aquariums are being asked to respect their welfare, then surely the same standard should apply when we encounter them in the wild. 

For generations, rockpooling has been a beloved British seaside tradition. Armed with a net and a bucket, families spend hours exploring the shallow waters of our coastlines, discovering the fascinating creatures that live there. While this is still a treasured way for children (and adults!) to learn about marine life, it raises an important question: is scooping these fragile animals up into crowded buckets really the best way to connect with nature? 

This summer, we set out to do things a little differently – to explore rockpools with care, curiosity and compassion. We travelled around the North Cornish coast, connecting with families and beachgoers of all ages. With the help of an innovative child-friendly underwater telescope, children were able to watch rockpool life like starfish and crabs up close, without removing them from the water. Alongside this, we ran guided sessions, handed out resource packs filled with creative activities, and inspired little ones to earn their ‘Rockpool Ranger’ badges and sun hats. Some even celebrated with their best crustacean-inspired dance moves!

Five key messages to become a Rockpool Ranger 

Our Rockpool Ranger campaign aimed to encourage young explorers to be curious and compassionate while discovering the wonders of our rocky shores. Guided by five key messages, we hoped to leave a lasting impression: 

• Peek, don’t poke: Enjoy watching sea creatures where they live, no need to pick them up. 

• Be kind to crabs and rockpool animals: Crabs, starfish, and other animals can be hurt or stressed when handled. 

• Use your underwater telescope: Discover the underwater world without disturbing it – just look and learn!  

• Leave the rockpools as you found them: Gently return any moved rocks, and take all your belongings and litter home.  

• Kindness makes you a true explorer: The best explorers protect what they discover – observe with care and curiosity. 

These guidelines may sound obvious, but in the excitement of discovery they’re easily forgotten. Taking marine animals out of the water, their natural habitat, is extremely distressing for them - not only the shock of being lifted, but the danger of being removed from their carefully balanced ecosystem. The sea is a perfectly orchestrated environment, and interrupting that harmony can cause stress, injury, or even death. And this isn’t just our opinion – it’s increasingly backed up by science, and now by law. 

Bringing aquarium standards to the shore 

That’s why the government’s reforms matter so much beyond the walls of zoos and aquariums. They reflect a growing recognition that decapod crustaceans and other marine animals are not curiosities or playthings, where our entertainment trumps their welfare. Just as aquariums are adopting “peek, don’t poke” as best practice, so too should we when exploring rockpools in nature. Respectful observation – watching animals where they live, rather than lifting them out – allows us to learn about them in ways that are both magical and humane. 

That’s exactly what our Rockpool Rangers campaign set out to do: to take the welfare standards now shaping aquariums and bringing them to the shoreline.  

We worked with local authorities and community groups across Cornwall to spread this message, knowing that a collective voice is a powerful one The more we spoke with people, the clearer it became: most agreed that animal welfare matters deeply, but few had ever thought about how it relates to rockpooling. Once the connection was made, enthusiasm only grew. Parents welcomed the chance to teach their children a new way to engage with nature, and kids themselves were eager to earn their Rockpool Ranger badges by showing kindness to crabs. 

Meeting families from across the country, many visiting Cornwall’s coastline for the very first time, was truly inspiring. Children were especially eager to learn about our ten-legged crustacean friends, and even more eager to discover how to treat them kindly. Freddie aged 7 said  “Crustacean Compassion taught me to peek don’t poke, so I told everyone who was rockpooling to be kind to all the animals that we look at and will do so every time I go to the beach”.  

Across our four events, almost 200 people took part, with others joining from further away by downloading resource packs to try rockpooling compassionately in their own local areas.  

Compassion, curiosity, education, and fun can all go hand in hand. The new aquarium rules show that society is beginning to recognise these animals for what they are: sentient beings, not playthings. Our Rockpool Ranger campaign is about making sure that same respect reaches the shoreline too. 

The summer may be over, but the adventures don’t have to be. If you missed our events but are planning a trip to the beach, you can still find our free resources here. And if you’d like to collaborate on future events, we’d love to hear from you, just drop us a line at info@crustaceancompassion.org.