How to: Tidepool

If KOMO’s forecast can be trusted, this weekend is “on track to be the warmest weekend
since last September.” That’s right, folks, the warmest weekend in nine months. So get outside and enjoy it before the cold weather comes right back (on Monday). While Sammamish Patch offers a great calendar of local events, it missed my favorite one: tidepooling.

Tidepooling, for those of you new to living near coastal areas, is an opportunity to search for and observe sea life trapped in pools of water on shallow beaches. These pools are left behind when the tide goes out.

This weekend, June 4 and 5, the local tides will reach some of their lowest levels (-2 feet and -1.6 feet respectively) right around lunchtime, a perfect opportunity to combine a warm-weather picnic with a little sciency exploration.

What you need

In addition to your normal outdoor supplies (sunscreen, water, snack, yada yada), you’ll also need:

• Waterproof shoes. Water sandals or wellies/rain boots work nicely. While the air temperature is warm, the water is COLD. And you will want to splash around the shallow puddles. Also, ensure your shoes have good grippies on the bottom. Bull kelp and eelgrass stranded on the newly-exposed shore are slippery.
• A tolerance to getting “icky.” To see the really good sea life, you have to lift up slick and sometimes slimy stuff. (That picture is my boy pulling back bull kelp to discover a purple sea star.)
• Hand sanitizer. Seriously. This stuff, while cool to look at, will leave a salty, creature-y film on your hands.
• A guidebook. If you want to identify what you’re seeing, grab a good shoreline guidebook.
• Beach towels and/or fresh water. You’ll want to rinse and dry those sandy feet and shoes before you head back home. Some beach parks offer fresh water showers, but not all. A few bottles of water in the trunk will keep your car from smelling like the fishmonger’s clearance sale.

How to do it

Tidepooling is actually really simple. Find a good shallow beach. Walk slowly. Gently move things around. Touch whatever you want, but it’s best to do it with wet (with sea water) fingers. If you’d like to see things more closely and your knees/back are aching, fill a bucket with sea water and collect the creature you want to observe. Make sure you release it when you’re done!

If you’re still unsure, or you want some expert guidance, head to one of the beaches staffed by trained volunteers who will guide you, help you find some great sea creatures and teach you all about the ones you find. The Seattle Aquarium offers this Beach Naturalist Program throughout the summer.

Where to go

Common Seattle locations include Golden Gardens, Richmond Park, Lincoln Park, Carkeek Park, Seahurst Park, Constellation Park, and Des Moines Beach. But my favorite is Edmonds Marine Beach Park.

It’s a bit of a drive (about 45 minutes) but it is so worth it. Edmonds has acres of beach to explore during low tide. It also offers a sandy/gravelly beach piled high with driftwood. The driftwood logs are stable enough some kids climb the giant logs while kids and adults have dug out hollow caves under other logs. The park also offers a playground for the kids who get bored fast with the sea lifeand a large grassy area with picnic tables and barbecue grills. The grassy area is perfect for kite flying and Frisbee.

Also nearby (you’d never guess I have one of those kids who gets easily bored, now, would you?) is a large marina with boats stacked on racks three high and a boat elevator to lower those boats to the water. We’ve spent many a minute watching a giant boat forklift haul boats in and out of the Sound.

Edmonds Marine Beach Park is quite near the Edmonds-Kingston ferry terminal so in addition to glorious views of the Sound and Olympic Mountains, you’ll also get lovely views of the ferries and sailboats tracking back and forth.

Edmonds allows dogs on leashes to the south of the park and offers an off-leash area to the north.

When to go

Saturday, the lowest tide (-2 feet) is at 1:16 PDT. Head to the beach up to an hour before or after that lowest time for the best viewing.

Sunday, the lowest tide (-1.6 feet) is at 1:58 PDT. Same timing applies.

What you’ll see

You’ll see a few fish, lots of crabs and other shell-creatures, sea stars and sea cucumbers, anemones and tube worms. You’ll also see lots of other tidepoolers. You’ll also see evidence of moon snails. When you find a shell with a round hole bored into it, it was a moon snail that did it. And when you see an odd sandy shell that is soft and pliable and looks rather like the top of a vase, well, that’s a moon snail’s egg casing.

Share your adventure!

I have to live vicariously through you gentle readers. It’s my husband’s birthday this weekend, and we’re celebrating with a night out at Salish Lodge. If you have a favorite place to tidepool, or tips to offer our readers, please leave it in the comments section. If you went tidepooling and loved (or hated!) it, let us know why!

-- Val Serdy is an editor, mother and scuba diver. She isn’t kidding about living vicariously through your tidepooling adventures this weekend. It’s been too long since she donned her drysuit and got wet.