West Seattle low-tide sights: Catching a bit of lunch

| West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news | Wildlife

Today’s low-low tide brought some great noontime sights – we’ve received some excellent photos and took a few ourselves (plus we have a few awesome WSB’er-contributed holdovers from yesterday). We’ll be adding to these a little later in the evening but are starting with three from Gary Jones – wildlife catching, or seeking, lunch!

Today’s tide was the lowest, but tomorrow will still be fairly low, at -3.4 just before 1 pm.

More photos to come – and thanks again to everyone who has shared. ADDED 7:42 PM: The next two photos are by WSB’s Patrick Sand – we were out on the beach by Luna/Anchor Park:

The pilings beneath the park overlook – where the former Luna Park amusement park’s swimming pool used to be:

Laurie shared a photo of the Seattle Aquarium volunteer beach naturalists mustering by Constellation Park:

(They’ll be out at Constellation and Lincoln Parks again tomorrow, 11 am-2:30 pm.) And from Jim Clark, taken on Monday – a mystery creature (do YOU know what it is?):

As noted in comments, Jim has a gallery here. And more of others’ low-tide photos are in the WSB Flickr group pool (tidepool?) – see them here. (

timh2o June 5, 2012 (7:03 pm)

Weasel?

WSB June 5, 2012 (7:14 pm)

It’s a river otter! They are the otters who live in Puget Sound – TR

Rob June 5, 2012 (7:05 pm)

Cool! I must have been walking right in front of Gary with my WSU coat on! :)

Keri June 5, 2012 (7:10 pm)

You should create a “like” button. Now I’m truly regretting not making it down to low tide today.

clark5080 June 5, 2012 (7:33 pm)

Where the heck was the Otter taken?

WSB June 5, 2012 (7:58 pm)

Gary just identified the area as “Alki Beach” – I know he often shoots by Alki Point – and we did recently have the story of the otter video-recorded there rolling in the sand …

miws June 5, 2012 (7:41 pm)

I was thinking weasel as well. Didn’t realize that river otters had long, slender necks!

Mike

star 55 June 5, 2012 (7:54 pm)

I am so glad you posted these pictures. I pointed out the otter and wanted to ask for a copy of the picture, now I have one. Great photo.

Rob June 5, 2012 (8:06 pm)

He was out on the Alki Beach west part where the homes start past the grass. About 4 units in toward the lighthouse. He ran out to the water and played around for a bit. Dove down a few times then ran back with his food. He found a good dinner table spot on the first step of a homes beach access stair, but a crow swiped at him and he moved closer to the road between the homes. Cool looking guy!

Woodsman- Steve June 5, 2012 (8:07 pm)

Winner Winner chicken dinner!

nadj June 5, 2012 (8:09 pm)

thats what i saw running down the sidewalk yesterday! it was so fast i thought it was a ferret… i didnt even think there were otters around here!

35this35mph June 5, 2012 (8:12 pm)

So cool! Thanks!

JayDee June 5, 2012 (8:26 pm)

That’s a cool pix back towards downtown over the Luna Park pilings.

Kate June 5, 2012 (8:32 pm)

Mystery creature is a chiton.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tonicella-lineata.jpg

WSB June 5, 2012 (8:35 pm)

thank you for the ID, Kate.

CD June 5, 2012 (8:59 pm)

11-230 not 1230 tomorrow…for beach naturalists…and I know it’s Burien now but we are at seahurst and about 10 other beaches as well..

WSB June 5, 2012 (9:16 pm)

Thanks, CD, that’s why we link to the program site – I know there are other beaches staffed but we only cover WS :) however, if people follow the link, they’ll see the whole list, more info, times, all that. Will update the time. – TR

clark5080 June 5, 2012 (9:04 pm)

My Gallery is located here
http://jimclark.smugmug.com/Nature/Alki-Low-Tide-06042010/23362194_Bbv63z

With more to be added from today’s Low Tide Action

Jim

Rhonda Porter June 5, 2012 (9:22 pm)

I’m so used to Facebook… I’m looking for a “like” button!

KD June 5, 2012 (9:25 pm)

I thought the chiton was a nice plate of freshly BBQ’d smoked salmon, just like the way it looks when it comes off of the smoking/grilling stakes at Tillacum Village on Blake Island! Yum! That river otter is a cutie.., good thing it’s been identified also; otherwise woulda been a wee bit shocked if I saw that ‘cat’ running across the yard! Closest river is the Duwamish.

Alkigirl June 5, 2012 (9:54 pm)

So cool! I’ve lived on Alki all my life, and have NEVER seen an otter on the beach! Thanks for sharing the photo!

Chrisd June 5, 2012 (9:55 pm)

Maybe it’s me, but that first pic looks like a baby dinosaur.

CD June 5, 2012 (10:08 pm)

No prob! You are busy people! I appreciate all the info and links!

John June 5, 2012 (10:23 pm)

I was at Constellation Park today with the beach naturalists, and yes that is indeed a fine specimen of a Lined Chiton. We have several species of chiton in the area, that one is a favorite… so beautiful.

Gayle June 5, 2012 (10:45 pm)

“He was out on the Alki Beach west part where the homes start past the grass. About 4 units in toward the lighthouse.”

Wow! That river otter crossed the street in front of me yesterday when I was out for a run about 4:30. I was stunned and it was moving fast. Down the walkway between two houses and into the water.

Frankly, I did not know what it was until I got home and searched the web a bit. What a surprise and treat.

lissyjane June 5, 2012 (11:01 pm)

neat thanks for posting these great pics!

Scooterista June 5, 2012 (11:25 pm)

If I am remembering correctly from fifth grade nature studies, chitons are modern-day kin to prehistoric trilobites and cousins of a sort to potato bugs. This one is especially lovely!

Dennis Cheasebro June 6, 2012 (12:37 am)

No, a chiton is a mollusk, kin to a snail or limpet, not a crustacean or arthropod (trilobite). It is beautiful.

Danny McMillin June 6, 2012 (5:15 am)

Cool photos, Gary!

Barba June 6, 2012 (6:09 am)

The mystery creature is a chiton. They’re mollusks that cling to the bottoms of rocks that are pretty tightly hooked on in the tide pools. The critter at the top is an otter, but I did see a stoat, aka lesser weasel on the beach at Seahurst park a couple of weeks ago.

CEA June 6, 2012 (9:53 am)

Love the river otter! Saw one once a couple months back crossing at a crosswalk! Pure coincidence but boy, was it funny!

lt fd June 6, 2012 (10:14 am)

Puget Sound’s healthy population of river otters provides otters for reestablishing populations in other parts of the U.S.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2013571419_otters02m.html?syndication=rss

Ann Marie June 6, 2012 (10:23 am)

I was at the low tide on tuesday at Seahurst Beach. When I was parking a woman was walking the lot warning of a car prowler with a basket disapearing into the woods. There was a car alarm going off. She left, as I was getting my children out of the car and stowing any items, I saw a man with an empty basket come out of the woods and leave.
He was a white male, tall, slender, glasses. driving a Nissan Maxima, lic plate #: ADV 29–.
I don’t know if this is the suspect, it just seemed to fit the description I was given.

ET June 6, 2012 (10:54 am)

if you squinch your eyes a little, that river otter looks like a dinosaur. :)

WSB June 6, 2012 (11:04 am)

ET – you’re right. Like the Sinclair gas icon dinosaur, in fact… for anyone who lived somewhere with Sinclair stations (I did, most recently, mid-’80s, Grand Junction, CO) … TR