There’s comfort to be had in always being able to find something new. Although I’m not sure I mean that about my life in general, where there’s comfort in surrounding myself with the people and things that I love and know well.

But when out in nature, one of my very favourite things is knowing that every moment is an opportunity for discovery, be it a time of day that’s new for a familiar walk, the way clouds flow during the storm that caught you unawares and the delicious smell of rain that is somewhat different depending on where it falls.

It might be a behaviour you’ve never seen or a creature that you’re spotting for the very first time. And for me, that’s the beauty of rock pools – they are ever-changing ecosystems, shifting with the tides and the weather and also moment by moment as the fish dart for cover or the octopus curls out a tentative tentacle.

That might explain the utter giddy excitement I felt when finding my first Southern Fan Worm (Sabellastarte australiensis) and watching as it unfurled its gills from its tube-like home that it had constructed with mucous and sand. These creatures, endemic to Australia, use their two elaborate fans to breathe, to filter phytoplankton and zooplankton for food and particles to help in the building of the tube.

I wonder how many times I’ve wandered past these worms. When they are inside their dwelling – and, trust me, they can retract those feathery gills at lightning speed if they feel threatened – the tube is just another structure amongst the nooks and crannies of the rock pools. It’s not until the gills unfurl slowly and hypnotically that these magnificent creatures reveal themselves.

I have come across quite a few now, around Port Kembla and Shellharbour. If you do spot them and they happen to dart back into their home for safety, hang around and watch quietly. It might take a while, but this worm’s hesitant return back out into the water is a sight not to be missed.