YAKYAK OREGON TIDEPOOLING HOW TO

You will see naturalists take great care when picking up critters to show them to you, and theyвЂ™ve been trained how to do this with minimal impact to the animals. DonвЂ™t pry critters off of rocks or overhandle crabs. DonвЂ™t move animals from one place to another.Walk very slowly on seaweed which can be hazardously slippery. Avoid crushing anemones and tiny crabs by stepping instead on bare rock or sand. Follow theseВ basic tips to help you explore safely and without harming the aquatic wildlife. While the critters here are adapted to pounding surf and frigid temperatures, they arenвЂ™t used to stomping boots and prodding fingers. The intertidal zone is an incredibly fragile habitat. Tips and Etiquette for Exploring TidePools Ready to spot some vibrant sea stars and scurrying crabs? HereвЂ™s how you can make the most of our awesome minus tides this summer! For a more comprehensive guidebook, check out the BeachcomberвЂ™s Guide to Seashore Life in the Pacific Northwest.

The most basic guide is the waterproof MacвЂ™s Field Guide to Northwest Coastal Invertebrates.В This is the guide my son uses (see the photo) heвЂ™s very into marine biology and still itвЂ™s sufficient for him.

A field guide to help you identify marine critters.

If you wear ankle rain boots you risk flooding them if you misjudge the water depth when taking a step (yes, this has happened to me!) Personally, I find our Salish Sea waters to be too chilly for wading around in sandals unless itвЂ™s a scorching hot day. My kiddo really likes his BogsВ which are a few inches taller than the average kidsвЂ™ rain boots. For me, these tall Kamik rain boots are perfect. The best rain boots for tidepooling are high (up to your knees ) and have great traction on the bottom to keep you steady on wobbly rocks.

YAKYAK OREGON TIDEPOOLING FREE

You can pick this up for a few bucks at any hardware store, or find a tide chart free as an app or online. You really just need three things to go tidepooling:

And at many beaches throughout Puget Sound, experienced marine naturalists are on hand during low tides to help you discover cool critters. ItвЂ™s easy, fun, and free! Anyone can go tidepooling with just a little bit of knowledge and some basic gear you probably already have. Tidepooling is when you head out to a beach during a low tide and poke around the rocks, nooks and crannies to spot exposed aquatic life. When the tide goes out, it leaves behind small saltwater pools in the depressions and crevices of rocks and sand, resulting in a diverse, albeit temporary, aquatic ecosystem. (By the way, in the months around the winter solstice we also get low minus tides, but those low tides occur in the middle of the night, hence why winter razor clamming on the coast is often done by headlamp!) This pattern lasts for a few days each month.В (A вЂњminus tideвЂќ is any tide below zero, and zero is defined as the local mean lower low tide.) The minus tides are when youвЂ™ll get exposed tidepools for exploring the cool critters that live in them, and when you want to go digging for clams and oysters. Twice a day, the tide will come in (high tide!) and twice a day, the tide goes out (low tide!).ДЄ few times per year, usually in the months around the summer solstice, we get super low minus tides at midday, say anywhere from -2 to -4. There are a few things in life that you can rely on with absolute certainty. Looks like this sea star is going for a swim.Grab your rubber boots and low tide field guideвЂ“there are some fantastic minus tides in Puget Sound this summer! Sea stars, anemones andВ mussels clinging to the rocks. Most people stayed on the sand, but of course there were a few rule breakers. Check out their beautiful blue throat pouches!

Hopefully next time!ДЄbout half way up Haystack Rock I spotted a small colony of nesting BrandtвЂ™s cormorants. I did see quite a number of them zipping by, but a presentable photograph eluded me that day. The top part of Haystack Rock is home to the largest breeding colony of Tufted Puffins in Oregon. I hadnвЂ™t seen this many people in one place since the stores ran out of toilet paper! рџ‰ Normally most of this area is under water! There were numerous reminders that youвЂ™re visiting someone elseвЂ™s home! вЂњWhich way should I leap to keep dry feet?вЂќ Walking towards Haystack Rock revealed an intricate labyrinth of countless lakelets in the sand. to arrive in Cannon Beach before the minus tide was at its lowest. The weather again was just about perfect and the low water levels left much of the usually submerged rocks and sand accessible. A minus tide last month had us back at the Oregon Coast.

Yakyak oregon tidepooling