I’ve been wanting to go for an intertidal walk for ages.
One of those quiet parenting hopes you tuck away for “one day” — to wake up at sunrise, slather on bug spray and watch tiny sea creatures emerge where the tide once was.
So when I finally signed us up, I was determined to make it happen.
Cue: waking everyone up at 6am.
Cue: convincing two grumpy kids to put on suitable clothes, socks and aqua shoes.
Cue: “I don’t like this shirt!” “Can we not go?!!!!” (Obviously from the very unadventurous YB!)
We were the last to arrive. I do not like being late. I felt flustered, already sweaty from the humidity and a little snappy. *eye rolls at my kids*
Off to Pasir Ris!
I’d considered a few intertidal walks before — some at Changi, others at Sentosa — but this one ticked all my boxes. It was organised by Pasir Ris Sustainability Action Group as a free, educational programme.
And best of all, it was at Pasir Ris Beach, practically in our backyard. No rushing across the island before sunrise — just a short drive away, which helped a lot when coaxing sleepy kids out of bed. We met at Carpark E, and from there, the intertidal zone was just a short stroll away — a few hundred metres at most.
Sun, sand and sea creatures galore
We divided into two groups and followed our friendly, knowledgeable guides. Our guide, Jerome, started out by asking if we know what “Pasir Ris” means. As usual, J cannot resist raising her hand even though she didn’t know the answer: “Is it because we PASS by Pasir Ris a lot?” 😅
Our guide also mentioned that we were especially lucky that morning — the tide had retreated just right, far back and during daylight hours, which meant we had a clear, generous view of the intertidal zone. Some days, the timing isn’t as kind.
With that bit of tide magic on our side, we started our walk — gingerly at first, sidestepping puddles, seaweed, and the occasional squelch.
They pointed out:
- Lots of sea hares
- A carpet anemone in a sandy pool
- A sea cucumber, curled and soft
- Tiny crabs scuttling under shells and seaweed
- A brittle star, wriggling its delicate arms
It was like someone had peeled back the sea and let us peek behind the curtain — and for once, we all really looked.
A morning well-spent
Even with the flustered start and being the last to arrive, I’d still do it again.
We really got to see a lot of sea creatures that we usually wouldn’t have. And the kids also got a sustainability lesson at the same time when they saw all the trash that were washed up.
They also received a little brochure at the end. It was nothing fancy but it had pictures of sea creatures they’d just seen and they absolutely adored this brochure! They spent the rest of the day pointing to it, flipping through it like a treasure map, trying to match what they’d found!
Little Notes
Look out for new dates: Intertidal walks tend to happen around very low tides, so slots are irregular. We spotted this one on the Pasir Ris Sustainability Facebook group, and they also post on Instagram. Worth joining so you don’t miss the next walk! They also have tree planting trips to Pulau Ubin and regular beach clean-ups.
Wear the right shoes: We trudged through sand, mud, and seaweed — and we were so glad we came prepared. Our aqua shoes from Decathlon worked wonderfully: lightweight, grippy and easy to wash after. Another option is to wear old sneakers you don’t mind getting wet. We also saw some people with shoe covers over their shoes! Just don’t wear flip-flops or anything open-toed unless you enjoy slipping and shrieking.
Bring extra clean footwear like slippers: The beach is just a short walk from the carpark, so we left our heavy bags behind, only bringing the essentials — water bottles, sunhats, and bug spray. We kept clean slippers in the car so we could rinse off and change into dry shoes right after.
No need to bring nets or buckets. This is not recommended, as everything is observation-only — no collecting or touching unless guided. The focus is on respecting marine life and leaving things as we found them.
This Little Season 