What sea life may be hazardous when rockpooling?

Question

Back on my childhood nostalgia train... After thinking about Crabbing I began to wonder if there are any particular sea life that I might have to be wary of when going rock pooling along the coastline?

For this, please don't mention litter or various flotsam and jetsam type items, just sea life.

Whilst I live in the UK I do travel abroad and love to rock pool throughout my travels so please mention what country you're posting about!

For those unsure... Rock pooling is where you discover sea life, shells etc in the water left by low tide.

Answer 1

The blue-ringed octopuses (genus Hapalochlaena) are three (or perhaps four) octopus species that live in tide pools and coral reefs in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, from Japan to Australia (mainly around southern New South Wales and South Australia, and northern Western Australia). They are recognized as some of the world's most dangerous marine animals.

Answer 2

In the UK one of the more dangerous sea creatures is the weever fish. They are often found in shallow, sandy water, particularly around Cornwall and the south west, and have venomous spines on their backs. Being stung is very painful and can result in severe swelling.

Stings are generally caused by standing on them unawares while barefoot, so can easily be avoided by wearing footwear.

Various types of jellyfish may wash ashore in the UK. In particular the Lion's mane jellyfish is common on the coast of Scotland and has a painful sting.

Other than that larger crabs can be painful if you try and pick them up and get bitten. Another minor risk are barnacles which can cause very nasty scratches if you fall on them, but if you fall on rocks it will probably hurt anyway.