Sea Star Wasting Disease

Pacific Coast

Anyone who knows me knows that I have always been fascinated by low tides and tide pools. For years I  dragged my kids and whoever would go with me to low tide, especially the extreme low tides that occur 3 or 4 times a year. I’ve taken hundreds of photos of starfish in the last  7 years and the sun starfish has always been my favorite. I have a particular location in Edmonds that I go to where there has always been tons and tons of starfish during extreme low tides. For more info on that spot click here. A photo I had taken at this particular beach of a crawling sun starfish won an honorable mention in the Seattle Times Photos of the year.  (Pictured below)

 

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Dungeness Spit Hike

Dungeness Spit National Wildlife Refuge/Dungeness Recreation Area
Sequim Wa.
Olympic Peninsula

I’ve had my eye on this hike for a really long time, so I chose Dungeness Spit for our family camping trip last summer. A “Spit” is  a narrow point of land extending into a body of water. Dungeness Spit is the longest natural sand spit in the United States and there is a working lighthouse at the end of the 5 mile trek. You can read more about the New Dungeness Lighthouse here.

New Dungeness Lighthouse

New Dungeness Lighthouse
Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge
Sequim Washington

New Dungeness Lighthouse is located on Dungeness Spit on the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge in the town of Sequim on the Olympic Peninsula. To get to the lighthouse you must hike 5 miles on a natural sand spit.  A “Spit” is  a narrow point of land extending into a body of water. The hike is long but worth it. You definitely need to time your hike according to the tides. During low tide there is enough sand to walk comfortably. At high tide you’ll be walking on logs and rocks and it will take you much longer. Check out my Dungeness Spit Hike post for more info.

Rialto Beach, Extreme Low Tide Day 1

 

Rialto Beach, Olympic National Park   July 11 2010

Hole in the Wall Hike

Northwest Washington Coast                                                          

Day 1

One of 2 parts

This is a hike I have been dreaming of doing for 3 years. I visited Rialto Beach back in September of 2007 in hopes of seeing the low tide and to find the “Starfish Rock” (a large boulder covered in starfish) that I had seen on another website. We tried to get there early enough but didn’t quite make it. Even though we missed it I was fascinated by this beach and vowed to come back for an overnight hike on a day when there was an extreme low tide. There are only about 3 really low tides of the year, so 3 years later (yes it took 3 years! I was pregnant during one of those years so cut me some slack. : ) I finally had the chance to make this journey I have been dreaming about.  If you want to read my previous blog entry on Rialto Beach here is the link.   Rialto Beach Hike.

Rialto Beach Hike, Extreme Low Tide – Day 2

Rialto Beach, Olympic National Park

Hole in the Wall Hike

Northwest Washington Coast                                          Day 2

 As soon as it was light I  got up and walked to the beach to watch the tide begin to go out.  I skipped breakfast since I was so eager to get to Hole in the Wall and again, it was another incredible experience for me. I saw a couple of early morning hikers and I watched the surf  gradually lowering to reveal tons of rocks that weren’t there the day before. My hiking companions decided to sleep in since we didn’t get much rest during the night. So once again I was on my own to explore this amazing place at such an incredible low tide. The sun was coming up creating beautiful colors and the beach had a touch of early morning fog. It was going to be a perfect day!

Seattle Times Photos of the Year

As I was checking the weather at Seattle Times I noticed a link to the Seattle Times Photo of the Year winners. As I browsed through the top 10 “honorable mentioned” photos, commenting to myself about how great some of them were, I was shocked when I came upon one of my own photos!!

My photo of the “Crawling Sun Starfish” won an honorable mention award!! I am so excited. Mine was one of 10 photos that made the list.   Check out the link: Seattle Times Photos of the Year. I would have never known either if I hadn’t been checking our crazy weather.

Rosario Beach

Rosario Beach                                                                                                                                             Fidalgo Island, near Deception Pass                                                                                                             

6/08

 

 

Last summer we went to Bowman Bay and hiked the Bowman Bay Lighthouse Point trail. A few weekends ago we decided to go to Rosario Beach since we didn’t really get a chance to actually see Rosario Beach when we hiked Bowman Bay. Rosario is just north of Bowman. In fact you can see Bowman Bay from the grassy clearing at Rosario Beach.

Extreme Low Tide. Edmonds Wa.

 

“Crawling Sun Starfish”

**This photo was chosen for “Seattle Times Reader Photo of the Week” and will be featured in the NW Weekend section of the Seattle times, and at seattletimes.com on Thursday May 29, 2008

 More legs than the Rockettes-Seattle Times

** My photo of the “Crawling Sun Starfish” also won an honorable mention award for the Seattle Times Photos of the year for 2008!!

Photos of the year-Seattle Times

 

I love low tide. It’s one of my favorite activities here in Washington. I used to rush the kids to Mukilteo Beach everytime there was a really low tide, and now that they are older I think the enthusiasm has worn off. I, on the other hand, will cancel any and all plans just so I can experience the extreme low tides that come only a few times a year. During extreme low tides here the most amazing sea life is uncovered.