“Mom, sea life is the best thing in the whole world!” … Eoin enthusiastically declared, after a day spent exploring the Pollock Holes in Kilkee!
Declan & Eoin exploring the Pollock Holes together
A swimming starfish
Duggerna Reef is a natural wonder that is located at the southern end of the semi-circle that forms Kilkee Beach. At the inner edge of the reef along the shoreline are the Pollock Holes, which are natural rock pools, that form when the tide is low. Along with three large pools that offer great fun for swimmers, there are many tiny pools scattered about… all teaming with marine life!
Seaweed in a pool I call "Mom's Hair"
The Pollock Holes attract both adults and children alike, many swimming in the large pools and others just wandering about with an eye out for starfish, shellfish, jellyfish and all sorts of assorted seaweed, plant life and living creatures caught in the pools for the day. Many children come equipped with plastic buckets and nets in order to capture sea creatures for a closer look before returning them to the pools. Then it all disappears in the late afternoon with the incoming tide – only to reappear again the next morning!
Local girls holding a live starfish. Their dad said, "Put my redhead in the photo, the Americans will love it!"
Jellyfish are very difficult to photograph!
On our first day in Kilkee we found ourselves so enthralled with the Pollock Holes, that we spent nearly six hours exploring them – only to stop once or twice to refresh ourselves with a break for tea. Eoin was delighted and excited! Now, like most of the other children at the pools, he is equipped with his own net and bucket and is quite sure that the earth’s greatest treasures come from the sea!
Nature's still life
Blogging from the Bog 
9 comments
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July 14, 2010 at 5:43 pm
Maggie Scarborough
Janet, you may be raising the next Jacques Cousteau! I hope he keeps track of all his discoveries, even if he just dictates the details to you. There’s no telling where all this experience will lead. It’s simply fascinating!
July 15, 2010 at 1:35 am
bloggingfromthebog
Suburban boy that he is, these experiences are so new and out of the ordinary for him that I’m sure they are leaving a lasting impression.
July 14, 2010 at 7:57 pm
lifeonthecutoff
Such beauty and fun and excitement in all the discovery both Eoin and you are experiencing. I love the local girl’s picture – her dad is right about this American.
July 15, 2010 at 1:41 am
bloggingfromthebog
We have really been having a lot of fun locally. I expected to be wandering all over the West but Kilkee has a lot to offer and sometimes just hanging out at a the tide pools is enough!
Don’t you love the way the little girls hair matches the starfish!
July 14, 2010 at 8:57 pm
Frances Merritt
Janet, tide pools are so wonderful. Both of my boys in SoCal spent a lot of their young years exploring tide pools. Duggerna Reef seems like a fascinating place, what a great treat for children and adults alike. Fun article. If you title it Duggerna Reef then when anyone google searches for it, your article will come up, I think it would interest others.
July 15, 2010 at 1:45 am
bloggingfromthebog
That’s a great idea about the title Frances, I’m going to change it! I really never thought about the titles bringing people to the blog – I’ll have to rethink my titles!
July 18, 2010 at 4:21 pm
Kevin
I know I say it a lot, but it reminds me exactly of living in Oregon. My friends and I would get up early, ride our bikes down to the pools, and check out all the life caught in them as the tide rolled out. Some of the best times. Can’t wait to check it out, I’m sure it will take me back.
July 18, 2010 at 4:31 pm
bloggingfromthebog
Oregon with castle ruins and a zillion pubs!
October 19, 2013 at 1:00 am
Hershel
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