West Seattle low-tide sights, up close and personal
We’ve been tracking the holiday-weekend low tides – very low today, and the next two days it’ll be lower still (per this tide chart, -3.6 at 12:07 pm tomorrow and the same at 12:53 pm Tuesday). We’ve received three close-up photos of tidal sights today – the first and second are from Minette (who also shared her baby-owl gallery following last night’s Lincoln Park owl-photo post) – and she shared info too:
The (first) one … is an image of a “Red octopus” (Octopus rubescens). This octopus is frequently found at our local beaches and people are always very happy to see it. However, it is venomous (for real!) and can deliver a nasty bite, so be careful out there, all you curious folks. The (next) one … is a sea slug (also called a nudibranch). This particular one is the Opalescent nudibranch (Hermissenda crassicornis). It can be found in great numbers at our local beaches and at all times of the year, but people rarely notice it because it’s so small.
We’ve also received photos from Rick – two views of a sun star: First, full body —
Next, close up:
Thanks again to everyone who sends photos to share — editor@westseattleblog.com any time (and if you have a sec, consider programming that into your cell-phone contact list in case you happen onto an interesting sight sometime and want to send it from your cameraphone fast).
Happening today: From low tide, to Farmers’ Market wagon ride
Thanks to Gregory Wright for photos from Saturday’s low tide – and this morning, it’ll be even lower (bottoming out at 11:24 am, according to this tide chart) – with volunteer beach naturalists out again at Lincoln Park and south of Alki Point, 10 am-1:30 pm:
Also today: Extra fun at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market (10 am-2 pm in The Junction) – it’s “Live Local Day” with free draft-mule-wagon rides, free sweet-pea flower starts for kids from Langley Fine Gardens, and free cooking demos (barbecue sauces!) – plus, here’s today’s fresh sheet. Last but not least, day 2 of Colman Pool‘s first “pre-season weekend” on the Lincoln Park shoreline, schedule here. More in the West Seattle Weekend Lineup – and if you’re garage-saling, check the listings in the WSB Forums’ Freebies-Deals-Sales section (free to post YOUR future sale!).
West Seattle (and vicinity) scenes: Low tide; sunrise; “Rangers”
Thanks for all the photos sent while we were away from the keyboard for a while doing a political interview for our ongoing election coverage! Don’t know who to credit for the low-tide cameraphone photo above – but, as mentioned in the West Seattle Weekend Lineup, today kicks off a run of minus tides, which “peak” with -3.6 on Sunday and Monday (in comparison, the low tide this morning was -1.1). Next – Charley Biggs sent a photo of this morning’s sunrise:
And from Marco – the city’s “Pothole Rangers” in action – not technically West Seattle, but see his explanation after the photo:
Not West Seattle, but a lot of us ride that way on our bikes: The Pothole Rangers are currently repairing the many potholes on the bike lane of E Marginal Way S.
So I just wanted to shout out a huge thank you to them (I did, when I rode past them, but I’m not sure they could hear me over their machines ;)
So together with the beautiful weather, this makes Bike Month an even bigger success!
Got pix to share? editor@westseattleblog.com any time – whether it’s a spectacular sunrise, a breaking-news story, a cool event at your child’s school … thanks!
If you happen to see that humpback again … or any whale …
After this week’s humpback sightings (here and here), Lori in Arbor Heights wanted to share this:
I’d like to urge anyone who sees the Humpback (or any other whales for that matter) to please, please call Orca Network at 1-866-ORCANET to report the sighting. They will in turn contact researchers who would dearly love to find that whale and try to i.d. it. If anyone gets any pictures, especially of the underside of the tail fluke, they can call the preceeding number and get info on where to send copies of their pics to.
Also, folks can check out www.bewhalewise.org for info on guidelines for what to do if they encounter whales while out on their boats. Please give these whales LOTS of room.
With good weather … this weekend, and lots of folks out and about, I’m hoping we’ll see him or her again. I will be out looking myself in earnest.
West Seattle Whale Watch: Humpback sighting
ORIGINAL 4:02 PM REPORT: Just got a call from Jeff Hogan, who usually gives us the heads-up about orca sightings: A humpback whale has been spotted in the past hour near the Fauntleroy ferry dock, breaching and spy-hopping. (Reportedly headed northbound from there.)
6:14 PM UPDATE: Adding two photos from a nearby resident – above, you see part of the whale; below, the splash after a breach (the resident said she saw TWO of those!):
West Seattle (-related) scenes: Campaign rock; fish tale
Via one of County Council Chair Dow Constantine‘s Twitter feeds (@Dow_KingCounty), we get that Twitpic of the County Executive candidate onstage during his rock ‘n’ roll fundraiser at Crocodile Cafe, which continues till midnight. Meanwhile, back on this side of the bay, Bonnie caught this scene at Seacrest:
Bonnie reports her kids were particularly captivated by the flounder, whose catcher released it shortly afterward.
West Seattle scenes: Sneak peek at summer
The miracle of portable technology – you can take advantage of brilliant sun and not stay out of touch. We were actually photographing the flotilla of brant in the background, when we caught the beachgoer in the foreground. Elsewhere on Alki, crews were getting the tennis courts in shape for summer:
If you “follow” WSB on Twitter (@westseattleblog, or, if you are just checking in via the Web, twitter.com/westseattleblog), you may also have seen this photo link we tweeted – beach umbrella sighting!
ADDED 2:50 PM: One more it’s-warm-and-everybody’s-out photo, this one from Cass:
She added, “It’s all in the perspective …” (Which certainly can be said for many things!)
West Seattle (and vicinity) scenes: Ferries to feathers
WSB photojournalist Christopher Boffoli shares two views of the Washington State Ferries vessel Issaquah, usually on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth run but currently in drydock at Todd Shipyards:
Also along the West Seattle waterfront: David Hutchinson provides a new view of one of this spring’s most famous local families:
David writes:
There are currently 24 goslings being tended by 2 pairs of adult geese. You can see them roaming the lawns between Salty’s and the Don Armeni boat ramp each day and then leaving in a group after sunset for the beaches of Jack Block Park to spend the night. By the end of July, they will have grown to near adult size and will have learned to fly.
We closely followed the development of last year’s group of goslings and found it very fascinating. Hopefully, despite their controversial status, people will take advantage of this opportunity to see nature close up and will be tolerant of their presence over the next several months. Sadly, last year we observed individuals setting their dogs on groups of adult geese with goslings and quite a few kids seemed think that it was amusing to throw rocks at them as they swam by.
For more information about Canada Geese, check www.canadageese.org/faq.html
We received another goose-family photo today from Manuel:
P.S. Not West Seattle-specific, but if you too are a bird fan, you might enjoy reading the latest on Seattle’s urban peregrines (they’re not mentioned so far this year, but some have been known to nest under The Bridge).
More West Seattle weekend scenes: Pinniped & paint
Thanks to Lina Senzer-Rose for sharing the sea lion photo taken by husband Scott Rose – many others who rode the King County Water Taxi (our major coverage of today’s kickoff is here) probably got a good look too! – One more weekend note, Scott C tipped us that lane lines on The Bridge have been re-striped – this photo doesn’t quite do it justice, but we verified ourselves they’re strikingly brighter. Knock wood that we aren’t in for further rounds of road-eroding weather badness.
We had one other bit of road news – we’ve published so much news this weekend that you might have missed it or not gotten to it yet – the Fauntleroy Way repaving contract was awarded, and the bid came in low enough that they will be able to stretch the repaving southwestward to SW Holly. We’ll be checking this week for updates on when that work’s likely to start.
Time and tide: West Seattle shores, revealed
WSB photojournalist Christopher Boffoli shares that low-tide look from earlier this week. Tides are back on the upswing but if you’re a low-tide fan, you only have to wait a few more weeks for the rocks and other secrets to be revealed (here’s the chart).
West Seattle scenes: Sunset sailing; camp on campus
As Rick R. put it, tonight’s sunset was simply golden — that’s the view from Fauntleroy. (Probably no encore tomorrow — the forecast looks wet and breezy.) A couple miles east, and a few hours earlier, it was Day 2 of Spring Break Camp at Denny Middle School in Westwood:
Denny principal Jeff Clark sent those photos with word that this camp is recordbreaking:
Yesterday and today, we have had 225 kids at school increasing their skills in reading, math, writing, science, and music. Our break camp programs are designed to create learning opportunities for our students beyond the regular school year calendar. The previous attendance record for a break camp at Denny was approximately 100 students, so this week’s daily total of 225 is amazing. I would like to congratulate our outstanding students for their efforts and thank our terrific staff for making this opportunity possible–go, Denny Dolphins!
Got news about your school, group, or ? — please let us know — the various ways to reach us are all listed here.
Coast Guard chopper off Alki
Twitter user “seakobi“ sent that via TwitPic, taken from Alki about half an hour ago – and we got notes from Barb and Robin wondering about the helicopter. Clearly a Coast Guard chopper, but we aren’t having any luck getting the CG on the phone; no rescue calls on 911, so perhaps training? May not be able to verify till tomorrow, but if you happen to know, please chime in. And thanks to “seakobi” for the photo. ADDED 8:34 PM: And this one too:
ADDED WEDNESDAY MORNING: From comments, official confirmation (and yes, the IP address checks out):
The crews from Air Station Port Angeles, Wash., and Station Seattle were doing their weekly helicopter operations training March 31. Nice photos from your reader.
Paul Roszkowski, Chief Public Affairs Specialist, U. S. Coast Guard
Different kind of rescue on Alki tonight: Beached sonar device
That sonar-equipped, self-propelled seafloor-mapping device caused a stir along Alki Avenue this afternoon, then again tonight. Around midafternoon, its owners say, it failed a test; then someone apparently mistook it for an overturned kayak and rescuers briefly responded. It wound up on the beach in the 1300 block of Alki — where some passersby wondered if it were a “torpedo” — and there it stayed till a crane could be brought in a short time ago to retrieve it:
It couldn’t just be carried off the beach, its owners explained, because it weighs 1300 pounds. (Here’s a little more about it.) So they had to summon the crane (and police came out to be sure it could get close enough to the seawall, safely). 9:12 PM UPDATE: Adding video of the crane operation. (Note, the mapping device achieves liftoff about 49 seconds in.)
West Seattle whale-watching alert: Orcas heading this way
Just got a call from West Seattle-based orca expert Jeff Hogan, who says there’s been a sighting around Bainbridge and they’re headed south – so heads up if you’re anywhere near the West Seattle waterfront. Updates as we get them. 11:12 AM UPDATE: Jeff called again – says “they’re a mile off Vashon, heading south.” 1:45 PM UPDATE: The Orca Network has more details on today’s sighting near Bainbridge:
March 19
Orca Network received a call from the Ferry Kitsap at 10:50 am, reporting a pod of orcas 1 mile off Alki Pt, between Alki & Restoration Pts, near the Tango Buoy, heading south.
March 19
We are watching what looks like 4 Orcas in a line between Rolling Bay, Bainbridge Island and Carkeek Park, Seattle. They are close to the south bound shipping lane heading south. Looks like one male, two females and not sure about the 4th one. Saw the first one at 8am.
UPDATE 8:30am: The four came in by Skiff Point, Bainbridge Island still heading south. A mother and a juvenile are also out in the south bound shipping lane off of West Point. The juvenile is particularly frisky – jumping clear out of the water.
ADDED 4:15 PM: Here’s a link to KING5 aerials shot today.
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