When I read on West Seattle Blog about today’s low tide, I knew where I was going to play hooky today. Destination? Alki Beach, of course. Low tide is a smorgasbord for water loving birds, a treasure hunt for nerds with metal detectors, and a learning playground for folks who don’t often get to see tidepool dwellers. I wanted to pick up some clam shells for the tomato plants and I love tidal flats. Who doesn’t?
We joined a nice young family from Idaho in gently poking critters that aren’t usually exposed to humans without wet suits. There were giant purple and orange starfish, curled up sea anemones, and spitting clams. Kids built sand castles at the tide line, way way out there, cute teenagers threw wake boards, and lots of people wandered the sand.
Okay, maybe I should have been back at home working. But carpe diem. The heron knows where to hang out at low tide and maybe, like me, he’d met all his deadlines and was already cracking his files for the next round of work. Plus, he’d been at his desk since early that morning and hell, it’s Friday.
Time to quit rationalizing. Extreme low tide is a great reason to cut out at lunch time and join little kids in looking at stuff that lives on the shoreline. I hope you were out there too. If you weren’t out there, here are a few pictures.
Gorgeous. Reading this makes me miss the ocean SO much, especially at low tide.
Christina, I’m sorry. And since you’re a Vancouver girl and I’m a Seattle girl, I know what it means to miss the ocean, I really do.
No, no, don’t be sorry! The ocean’s always going to be there – I just don’t get to see it as often as I’d like to. So I have to live vicariously through you. 🙂
Wow. I’ve never seen an anemone up close before. The color is so vibrant, I had no idea…..
@jennifer: if you have the good fortune to find yourself out this way, get in touch and i will make sure to get you down to the beach when the tide is out. it’s worth blowing off every “important” thing you have to do for the afternoon because it’s such a wonderland.