Sunday, June 13, 2010

How Low Can You Go? - Tides


This is my friend Sarah and I at our "graduation". How do you like our caps?  Sarah has opened a whole new world to me, I had no idea all the amazing things I was missing on the beach. We participated in a Beach Naturalist training program this spring through the Seattle Aquarium and now we are joining a lot of other naturalists out on Seattle's beaches during low tides.  I'm so excited!




Today was the lowest tide of the summer in Seattle and I mean low -3.5!  
The rest of the week the tide schedule (in Seattle) is:
Monday -3.4 at 12:54PM
Tueday -2.9 at 1:41PM
Wednesday -1.9 at 2:28 PM
Thursday -0.5 at 3:17 PM
Head to the beach a couple hours early so you can really check it out and the tide tends to roll back in before you know it! The lowest tides are during full and new moons (just so you can plan your beach trips). To find out tide schedules and beaches that have naturalists to ply with questions (all summer) click here.   I'll be at Golden Gardens Monday and Tuesday if you want to come say hello.

Now for a little beach naturalizing...Here are some some things to look for when you are out in the Pacific NW.  For all of you in many other places, here is a reason to plan a visit here :)  I also wanted you to have a chance to check out some of the great things on our beaches: 

  1. Whelk Eggs 
  2. Heart-shaped mullosk
  3. Cauliflower algae/seaweed
  4. A group of sea anemones that have retreated waiting for the water to come back in
  5. A moon snail
  6. A whelk that has been eaten by a moon snail (See that perfectly drilled hole?)
  7. A geoduck clam - the siphons are both smooth and it's big (the largest burrowing clam)
  8. A sea star that is regenerating a leg

  1. A thatched barnacle
  2. A well-disguised crab amid the rocks 
  3. A red-rock crab by Luke's foot
  4. E discovering something cool
  5. An egg casing from a moon snail (This is filled with thousands of eggs)
  6. A limpet
  7. A big upside-down anemone hanging from the rock
  8. Luke and the boys exploring 
  9. A sea cumcumber with tentacles out
  10. Several sea cucumbers
  11. A bleached shell covered with baby barnacles
  12. A group of little bamboo tube worms

7 comments:

Traci said...

Amazing pics, Congratulations! I always am amazed by all that you do and are involved in. Way to go. Who would of known that there were so many interesting creatures, in your backyard.

Jamie said...

Very cool finds! And congrats on your grad! :)

Joanna said...

congratulations on 'graduating'! We will have to check that out with you sometime! I'm impressed on all the different things you found.

Sarah said...

You must be the most fun person ever. I love seeing the cool things you do with your kids!

Lorna said...

Who knew you were so smart, just kidding. It would be fun to know what you were looking at on the beach.

Kamis Khlopchyk said...

Awesome pictures, that was fun! I love seeing sea life, you know because the only thing we have here that's close is prairie oysters, and well, EW.

LP said...

LOVE the pictures! Looks like it was a fun adventure. And thanks for the tip about the low tides being in conjunction with the full and new moon schedule! I don't know how you do so many amazing things!