Great weather + low tides = West Seattle beachwalkers’ paradise

Great tidewalking conditions along Alki at midday today – and the tide will get lower still for the next four days, from a -1.4 today going down to -2.6 on Sunday (per this tide chart).

k May 13, 2010 (1:42 pm)

i love low tide!

herongrrrl May 13, 2010 (6:17 pm)

Annual reminder from the beach naturalists out there–please be kind when visiting the beach at low tide!

Please don’t relocate any animals you find on the beach. They know where they need to be.

Please don’t turn over rocks larger than your own head, and if you turn over a rock, piece of wood, or seaweed, please put it back exactly where you found it. Lots of the animals who shelter under the rocks at low tide (and their eggs) quickly dry out and die if left exposed to the sun.

If you want to touch soft-bodied beach critters like anemones or sea stars, please do so with wet hands.

Please leave empty shells on the beach. If you want a beach treasure to remember your trip, search for sea glass–and you’ll find more of it up in the drier portion of the beach, not down in the lower intertidal.

If you’re lucky enough to find an octopus, observe with your eyes and not your hands. They have a sharp beak and can give you a painful bite.

Please don’t walk through patches of sand dollars or eelgrass beds that have been exposed by low tides. They are very fragile and can easily be trampled to death.

Please bring a bag to carry home any litter you find on the beach. Unless you’re building sand castles, please leave buckets and shovels at home–they encourage relocation of animals who would rather stay where they are.

Low tides are stressful for the animals who live on the beach. Please be considerate while visiting their homes. I thank you, and all the wonderful critters on the beach thank you!

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