West Seattle, Washington
15 Wednesday
(WSB photo, July 2023)
After the 4th of July, you have two days to gird yourself for West Seattle’s next big summer event, the Seafair Pirates’ Landing at Alki. They’ll be storming the shore Saturday (July 6), usually near Alki Bathhouse (60th/Alki). Though their arrival is usually preceded by offshore cannon fire, and a whole lot of ferocious-sounding “arrrrr”‘s, once ashore, the Pirates are usually seen gruffly yet cheerily handing out stickers and posing for photos. It’s their 75th anniversary, and they’re expecting to land in the 1 pm-1:30 pm vicinity, according to the official announcement (which you can read in our calendar listing); they’ll be led by their newest Captain Kidd (Jay Albrecht). Once they’ve landed and mingled, they usually sail off on land instead of sea, via their trusty ship-on-wheels Moby Duck, which you’ll also see in the West Seattle Grand Parade two weeks later (Saturday, July 20).
Warm weather and a summer holiday are on the way. David Hutchinson from Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network offers this reminder:
Harbor seal “pupping season” in our part of Puget Sound runs from June – September. After the pups are born, they spend only 4-6 weeks with their mothers before heading out on their own. Over the next months, beach walkers in West Seattle will very likely come across these vulnerable young seal pups on both our public and private beaches. These marine mammals are protected by federal law. If you come across a seal pup (or any marine mammal) using the beach, please keep back, keep people and pets away, and call the Seal Sitters’ Hotline at 206-905-7325.
The telephoto image in the poster is of “Loki,” a harbor seal pup that was rescued from Constellation Park by Seal Sitters and successfully rehabbed by our partner SR3 at their facility in Des Moines. Loki was eventually released back into Puget Sound.
Seal Sitters is part of NOAA’s West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network. We are authorized to respond to all marine mammals, alive or dead, that end up on West Seattle Beaches. The official NOAA stranding map, which shows the coverage areas and the contact information for the various groups, is viewable at this link – then look under “Network Maps”).
Public Health – Seattle & King County announced this morning that it shut down seven unlicensed food vendors at Alki Beach last night for “operating without a valid permit.” They list the vendors in question as:
Botanas Lokas
Tacos El Amigo
Cocos
Unpermitted chicharron vendor
Tacos Seattle & Hot Dogs
Botanas
El Corre Caminos
Besides health, other permits are required for food vendors, as listed here. Meantime, you can check Public Health’s list of current food-establishment closures any time by going here.
(WSB photos)
“Somebody set fire to the forts,” a little girl informed us as we photographed the blackened driftwood on the shore at Lowman Beach Park. We went there after multiple tips about fires there this morning; those aren’t allowed anywhere at this park.
The SFD log shows two calls, one at about 4:50 am, one at about 7:50 am, both categorized as “brush fire” although we didn’t see any sign of burned vegetation (SFD’s automated log has a limited number of classifications). We did see extensive driftwood damage; impossible to tell if any was from prior dates. The little girl’s mom warned her to “avoid the charcoal – the burned part.” Lowman Beach’s north side was restored to a more natural state in a project completed two years ago.
This was the last day of the school year for pretty much everyone who wasn’t already out of school. That included Seattle Public Schools students – and some had special afterschool celebrations, including Gatewood Elementary‘s traditional plunge at Alki Beach. Thanks to the parent volunteer who sent the pic!
Thanks for the photos! Lincoln Park is one of the places to which beachgoers flocked during the low-low tide today, second of four days with the tide out to at least -3 eet. The photo above is from Tom Trulin; the photos below are from a texter who was out on a field trip with Gatewood Elementary students. While Seattle Aquarium volunteer beach naturalists were there, the school group encountered someone else:
Our class ran into the WLRD Science team from King County DNRP [Department of Natural Resources and Parks], who showed us lots of the animals they found while doing toxicology monitoring! Great bonus learning for our field trip.
The lowest point of tomorrow’s low-low tide (Friday, June 7) will be at 12:02 pm, -3.3 feet (here’s the tide table).
ORIGINAL WEDNESDAY REPORT: Thanks to Alki Community Council president Charlotte Starck for the tip. Extra city workers were at Alki Beach Park this morning for a “multi-district cleanup.” When we went over to find out what that entailed, a Parks worker told us it was over, explaining that they had focused on work such as tidying up the flower beds near the bathhouse and painting the restroom building further east:
The worker told us a new mural is planned for that building. We’ve had an inquiry out to Parks HQ asking for more details on what was done today (we’ll update whenever we hear back); the beach no doubt will be busy this weekend, with temperatures forecast to approach 80.
P.S. The Alki Community Council hopes to see you for its Summer Celebration at Alki Playfield, 5-8 pm Thursday, June 20 – our calendar listing has entertainment and other details for this free event.
ADDED THURSDAY: Here’s the response we received from Parks spokesperson Christina Hirsch:
These events are called “jamborees”, and they are cooperative projects amongst our district staff who work on larger scale projects rotating throughout the districts as the need arises. At the peak of this project, there were approximately 25 parks maintenance staff from 3 districts. This event included mowing, planting, chip spreading, and other grounds and maintenance activities. The teams were there for approximately 3 hours completing these tasks.
(Photo by Lynn Hall – low tide last month near Anchor/Luna Park)
Beach alert! The next series of low-low tides starts tomorrow, and they’re even lower than last time – four consecutive days of low tides at least -3.0 feet:
Wednesday -3.0 at 10:40 am
Thursday -3.4 at 11:21 am
Friday -3.3 at 12:02 pm
Saturday -3.0 at 12:45 pm
Seattle Aquarium beach naturalists will be at Constellation and Lincoln Parks all four days (and Sunday) – see their schedule/locations here. And whether you’re out there with an expert or by yourself, please tread lightly!
That’s the area where Seattle Public Utilities plans to start work this summer on a pump-station upgrade at the waterfront end of SW 98th [map] that’ll expand the street-end parklet at the site. SPU sent an update about this because they now say the “parklet” will be closed to public use for up to 10 months during the work, which is recapped as follows:
During an evaluation of SPU’s pump stations, we identified that Pump Station 71 needs substantial upgrades to improve worker safety and to keep the system working at its full capacity. SPU is proactively making improvements to this critical sewer infrastructure to ensure we continue providing reliable sewer service to you and your neighbors. As part of this effort, we’ll be making some improvements to the shoreline street end, including removing the guardrail and extending the useable street end 20+ feet to the east, replacing the current bench as well as creating a pad for wheelchair access, and installing beach logs, native plants, and new trees to enhance the natural area in the street end:
This work will be done in the public right-of-way at the western end of SW 98th St. … Most of the work will take place in the pump station, with surface work and construction staging in the street surrounding the pump station.
Some preliminary electrical work will be taking place in early July. Full construction mobilization is expected to begin as early as late August 2024. Once it begins, work is estimated to take about 7-10 months to complete.
This project has been years in the making and is running behind the previously announced schedule; we published this update two years ago, at which time the work was expected to be done in 2023, lasting up to six months. A 2022 project communication included this rendering:
Thanks to Rosalie Miller for the wildlife photos from Constellation Park, during the last in this round of low-low tides. Above, a Painted Anemone; below, a Lewis’s Moon Snail:
Here’s an Ochre Sea Star:
And a Chiton:
Next round of low-low tides will get even lower, with four days of -3.0 (or further) low tides, June 5-8. (Seattle Aquarium volunteer beach naturalists will be at Constellation and Lincoln Parks for all of those days.)
(WSB file photo)
Once again calling it “a pilot,” Seattle Parks has just confirmed it’ll close Alki Beach (and Golden Gardens) nightly at 10:30 pm starting Friday (as the Alki Community Council had been told) and this year continuing for a few weeks beyond Labor Day. Beach-fire season will start Friday, too, with a later nightly end time. Here’s the announcement just sent by Parks (with a link you can use for feedback):
Seattle Parks and Recreation will enact a pilot shortening the hours at Golden Gardens and Alki Beach during the 2024 summer months from 4 A.M.-10:30 P.M. from May 24-September 22. And a return to 4 A.M. – 11:30 P.M after September 22.
The shortened hours will assist in addressing dangerous and/or illegal behavior typical of summer evening uses at these two parks in response to public input and nearby community complaints.
This program is a pilot and will be reviewed at a Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners meeting after the summer to help determine the best operating hours for the public. This review will be informed by public comments from the questionnaire below, public comment given at the Board meeting, and data collected throughout the pilot period.
During the Summer 2024 Season, Seattle Parks and Recreation staff, assisted by Seattle Police Department staff, will begin closing down these two beach locations starting at 10:00 P.M.
Public input can be provided here.
Additionally, designated fire pits will be available for beach fires this summer beginning Friday, May 24, 2024.
Beach Fire and Park Rules
Starting Friday, May 24, 2024, designated fire pits will be available for beach fires at Alki Beach and Golden Gardens seven days a week on a first come, first served basis. Bringing your own fire pit is not allowed, and no propane fire pits/rings are allowed.
-Fires must be extinguished by 10 p.m.
-Fires allowed 7 days a week starting Friday, May 24 through Sunday, September 22.
-Staff will be on-site to manage and assist with putting out fires at 10 p.m.
-Parking lot gates will be locked and the park will close at 10:30 p.m. for summer hours.
-Please only burn clean (natural, bare, dry cord-wood) wood and douse your fire completely before leaving.
-Light a fire ONLY in one of the installed fire containers
-Use only clean, dry firewood
-Please douse your fire with water, not sand
-Fires are not allowed during air pollution alerts; we will post sign
-Please don’t remove any materials from the park, beach or dunes
-Please dispose of trash and ashes in the containers provided for each. (SMC 18.12.260)
=Be considerate of others–please, no loud or amplified music! (SMC 18.12.170)Remember, no alcohol or smoking are allowed, and parks are drug-free zones. Beach fire rules are outlined in detail in the Seattle Municipal Code section 18.12.270 and in our Beach Fires Policy.
If you see an illegal fire, call 911. For current burn ban and air quality questions, contact Puget Sound Clean Air Agency.
Fire pits at Golden Gardens and Alki are unlocked between 4-5 p.m. starting May 24. Please extinguish all beach fires (using water, not sand) by 10 p.m. in order to ensure that all fires are completely extinguished in ample time before the park’s closure.
The fires-out time is half an hour later than last year, and the end dates are later too; last year, the early closing time and beach fires all ended right after Labor Day.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Even with one marquee guest (City Attorney Ann Davison) canceling, last night’s Alki Community Council meeting was information-laden.
One headline: The ACC is organizing its first community celebration, with the help of a city grant. Set your calendar for 5-8 pm Thursday, June 20, when music, food, and fun will fill Alki Playfield. ACC vice president Lindsay Pearsall is organizing the event: “The idea is to bring the whole community together … to find opportunities to connect and celebrate.” It’ll also synergize with the quest for public feedback on plans for the playground between the past-and-future Alki Elementary site and the playfield. This will replace the ACC’s usual third-Thursday meeting.
Another headline: Parks still hasn’t formally announced the closing times for Alki beach-fire rings and the rest of the beach park, though ACC president Charlotte Starck received an email from Parks official Markeith Blackshire a week ago saying the superintendent had decided to keep the closure at 10:30 pm, same as the past few years, and same as what Parks said during last November’s meeting covering a variety of West Seattle topics. But this was all before the early-Wednesday gunfire on both ends of the greater Alki area – Beach Drive and Harbor Avenue – so things could change.
With summer-like weather bringing crowds last weekend, the beach park was a major topic. Pearsall said she had seen two newly graduated Park Rangers at the beach over the weekend; Starck said she had noticed more police presence.
It’s been almost a month since somebody drove that Jeep Compass onto the rocky beach between Seola and The Arroyos. (Here’s our original report; police later told us the vehicle’s owner belatedly reported it stolen.) While other vehicle-in-water cases have resulted in relatively rapid removal, this one is still there. Area resident Robin, awho sent the photos above and below, has been tracking the situation, and campaigning to get something done about it.
Most recently, Robin filed an illegal-dumping report via Find It Fix It. Seattle Public Utilities, which runs the illegal-dumping program, referred it to Seattle Parks. But Parks closed the ticket, telling Robin in a follow-up call that it’s not on Parks property. Meantime, it’s not just beached, it’s in and out of the water as the tide fluctuates:
That photo is from Tim, who was startled to see the semi-submerged SUV while out paddling last Saturday. The question remains, who’s ultimately accountable for getting it off the beach? In our most-recent round of inquiries more than a week ago, the state Ecology Department – which had responded to the scene early on, to remove fuel from the vehicle – said it was a “police matter” and that local law enforcement needed to work with the beach owners. After that, we asked SPD where it stood, and they repeated what had been mentioned before – tow trucks couldn’t get close enough to remove it: “There have been discussions with the Department of Ecology, U.S. Coast Guard and others, but it remains in the water for now.”
That it does.
One of the best places for a low-low tide view, if you’re not going down to walk on the beach, is Emma Schmitz Memorial Overlook (4500 block of Beach Drive SW). Above, the view a short time ago, looking north, and below, what we saw looking south:
As noted in our daily preview list, the tide bottomed out at -2.8 feet at 11:43 am today; the next two days (here’s the chart), it’s even lower, -3.2 feet at 12:24 pm tomorrow (Thursday, May 9), -3.0 feet. These are the lowest low tides of the month, but there’ll be some decent ones Memorial Day weekend too – that’s also when the Seattle Aquarium volunteer beach naturalists will make their seasonal debut, with two West Seattle locations (see the schedule and sites here).
Thanks to Ellen P. for the photo from Lincoln Park’s north shore. If you’ve never seen, nor heard about, that before, it’s a startling sight – orange-red water along the beach. But it’s not a spill. Just about every year in mid-to-late spring, an algae bloom called noctiluca shows up. Pending official verification (we have a inquiry out), that’s almost certainly what this is. The state Ecology Department says it’s not toxic but it can be irritating, so don’t go wading in it! (This is a bit earlier than our first mentions in many previous years – last year, it was late May.)
(Friday photo, sent by Craig)
Back on Friday night, we reported on that Jeep Compass that turned up on a rocky stretch of shore in southwesternmost West Seattle, between the dead-ends of Seola Lane and Arroyo Beach Place [map]. Last night, via an update from tipster Craig, we learned it’s still there. We asked Seattle Police why. Thanks to Officer Brian Pritchard for giving us an update via reports that tell a tangled tale. In short, Seattle Police, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Department of Ecology have all been to the site, and private salvagers have been consulted, but no one has been able to figure out how to get the vehicle out, via land or sea, either towing it out, pulling it out, or even floating it out. So far, the only major action taken is that Ecology removed the fuel that was in the SUV’s gas tank.
(Monday photo, sent by Craig)
So what about the person who owns it? Apparently that’s not the person who showed up on a nearby resident’s doorstep asking for a ride early Friday. Police say they’ve spoken to the resident and they weren’t aware the vehicle was on the beach at the time. The vehicle wasn’t reported stolen, Officer Pritchard just told us, until a short time ago, when its owner contacted police to tell them her vehicle had been taken while she was visiting friends last Thursday in North Seattle. So it might be her responsibility – or her insurer – to figure out how to get it off the beach. We’ll continue following up.
(WSB photo: SPD mobile precinct at Alki Beach Friday afternoon)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
At Thursday night’s Alki Community Council meeting, focused on city agencies’ plans for safety and cleanliness at the beach this summer, one attendee observed that past “pilots” for early closing times followed shootings.
“Maybe we can do this in advance of a shooting this year,” she said, with hope.
Maybe – but the closing-time decision has not yet been finalized, according to Katie Howard, one of the parks officials in attendance. Howard said the department is “still working out the details” and hopes they’ll have something to announce “within the next couple weeks … nothing is off the table right now.”
The meeting explored what’s planned for Alki Beach Park this spring/summer from several agencies’ perspective. One repeatedly mentioned theme: The city’s projected budget gap, and how that might affect staffing and services this summer; Howard said that will factor into the closing-time decision.
One new element: Seattle Park Rangers, with two representatives at the meeting.
Last year, the city had two rangers, and they were restricted to working at downtown parks. This year, they’ll have about 30 – though half of them are still at the academy until next month, at which time they’ll “go right into field training.”
5:54 PM FRIDAY: Thanks to Craig for the photo. Police responded to West Seattle’s southwesternmost shore this afternoon – between Seola Beach and The Arroyos – to try to sort out how that Jeep Compass ended up in the water. First they had to be sure nobody was in the water. Dispatch checked the logs, and consulted the King County Sheriff’s Office, since this is close to the city-limit line, and found out a few things.
KCSO had a report of a hit-run around midnight involving a vehicle matching this description, near 30th/106th. And someone in the area reported giving the vehicle’s driver a ride to a bus stop around 1 am. What explanation they gave, we don’t know. Police who were back at the scene around 4 pm said they couldn’t access the vehicle because of the tide, which is going back out now.
P.S. Last reported case of SUV-on-the-beach was four weeks ago at Lincoln Park.
ADDED NOON SATURDAY: Thanks to the texter who sent this photo, saying it’s still there as of this morning:
It’s not visible from the public ends of either Arroyo Beach Drive or Seola Beach Drive – we tried looking Friday evening – so don’t bother trying to gawk.
Summer is approaching and it’s time to find out what the plans are for keeping people safe at Alki Beach as the weather warms and crowds grow. The new leadership of the Alki Community Council is laser-focused on getting answers, and this Thursday is the night to join them – in person or online – to see what they’re finding out, and ask your own questions. For one – now that city Park Rangers are able to work outside downtown, they’ll be coming to Alki, and some will be at the ACC meeting to talk with community members. Another key guest, according to ACC president Charlotte Starck, will be Seattle Parks’ director of security Markeith Blackshire, with updates including beach hours this summer – will the earlier closings resume? Other beach-related issues the ACC is tackling include how city budget woes will (or won’t) affect park maintenance. Beyond the beach, plans for Whale Tail Park and the Alki Elementary play area are on the agenda too. And Southwest Precinct police will be there. All this in less than an hour and a half, if you can invest just a bit of time in your community. 7 pm is the start time at Alki UCC (6115 SW Hinds) or online (here’s the link).
Thanks for the photos!
Ann Adachi‘s image of the pre-sunset rainbow is the most vivid one we received. … Earlier in the day, before those glimpses of blue sky, clouds presided over a low-low tide:
Thanks to Lynn Hall for that view over Duwamish Head. Tomorrow’s low-low tide will be out to -2.0 feet, almost as low as today, at 2:19 pm. If you can’t get out to beachwalk until Saturday, it’ll be -1.4 feet at 3:07 pm. And all this is just a warmup for next month’s low-low tides – including -3.2 feet at 12:24 pm on May 9.
Even with a sign like that in view, people have asked about a dead sea lion that’s been in view on the beach at Constellation Park for a while. Though removal is not in the scope of Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network, we asked what they know about its status. That led to this explanation:
Many of you have seen Seal Sitters volunteers guarding vulnerable young harbor-seal pups resting onshore throughout the day. We also have the responsibility of responding to reports of deceased marine mammals that wash up on our local beaches.
When our hotline receives a report of a marine-mammal carcass on a public beach, a Seal Sitter first responder goes to the location. They take measurements, photos, and perform an external examination. This information along with the species type, degree of decomposition, and GPS coordinates will be entered into NOAA’s online national database. It is very important for scientific purposes that these deceased animals be reported. In some instances, a necropsy (animal autopsy) can be performed, depending on its condition and available resources. Seattle Parks and Recreation is always notified of the carcass’s location.
It is important to understand that NOAA’s stranding network, of which Seal Sitters is a member, is not responsible for the removal of these carcasses. Please note that it is illegal for anyone to push a dead animal back into the water once it has landed onshore. Towing and releasing or sinking requires a valid permit from the Environmental Protection Agency. Private property owners have a couple options. They can bury the carcass above the high tide line. They also can arrange for removal of the carcass by a company such as QAR (Quiet Animal Removal) for a fee.
Almost all California Sea Lions in our area are males and can reach up to 7.5 feet in length and weigh up to 700 pounds. Heavy equipment is required to remove them from the beach. Seattle Parks has the equipment to do this, but the carcass needs to be in an accessible location. Two CSL carcasses are currently on West Seattle public beaches. They have been reported to Seal Sitters and we have passed their location along to Seattle Parks, but they remain on the beach because they cannot be reached with the appropriate equipment. Seal Sitters’ first responders marked each carcass with biodegradable paint and placed informational signs nearby. The paint is applied for ID purposes, so if it floats to a different location on a high tide, it does not get double-counted. The signs inform passersby that the network is monitoring these dead animals’ locations and cautions against touching them for health reasons.
Seal Sitters wants to thank the West Seattle community for their support, and please continue to report both dead and live cases to our hotline at 206-905-7325.
Story and photos by Sean Golonka
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
While Division I athletics are a rare sight in West Seattle, the University of Washington beach-volleyball team and other top-ranked squads from across the country have come together for back-to-back weekend tournaments at Alki Beach.
Despite the cool, overcast weather in the low-50s this afternoon, the signs of spring — and volleyballs — were in the air, as scores of fans rallied around the beach to watch the Huskies (the 13th-ranked team in the country) take on #12 Arizona State and #2 Stanford.
In the Huskies’ first game of the day, pairs of two players battled across three sand courts in sets played to 21 points, while UW fans and visiting families donned team gear, jackets, and sweaters and gathered in chairs and on the steps leading down to the beach.
“Let’s go!” players shouted as they rallied for points against Arizona State. (The Huskies won, 3-2.)
With UW a ~20-minute drive away from West Seattle, top-level college sports rarely make an appearance in this part of the city, but since the NCAA officially sanctioned beach volleyball as a championship sport in the 2015-16 season, Alki has become a perennial home for the Huskies’ beach volleyball team.
After a set of Pac-12 North games wraps up this weekend, with UW additionally slated to play #7 California and unranked Oregon on Saturday (here’s the schedule), the Huskies will be back again next weekend for the Alki Beach Invitational.
7:33 PM: This day that began with a beached SUV at Lincoln Park is concluding with a beached sailboat at Alki. Thanks to the reader who sent the photos with a tip about the SFD/SPD response by land and sea. It’s toward the west end of Alki (off the 3000 block).
So far as we can tell from emergency-radio exchanges, the person who was aboard the boat is unhurt, just stuck. The tide is going out right now, with low tide just after 11 pm, and the next high tide isn’t until 5:42 am tomorrow.
SUNDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE: The boat’s still there. This update was sent by Andrew:
Talked to the fellow inside the boat and he said it was getting dark, he was trying to lower his sails, he was too close to shore (duh), and the wind got him. Wonder when the tide will be high enough to get him floating again…
According to the chart, next high tide is just after 5:30 pm, though it won’t be as high as the one this morning just after 5:30 am.
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