![]() Here the ocean licks the sand, packing it into a high-speed surface, making for a smooth run near the edge. Depending on the tide there is about twenty to one hundred yards of beach from the edge of the grass-covered dunes to the changing ocean line. Unlike the mostly barnacle covered rocky beaches of the Puget Sound, near home, this beach is sandy, miles… of fine tan-grey colored sand. Saltwater Park was one of Sarrah’s favorite places to taste some freedom.Īside from the Ocean, the obvious main ingredient of this long beach is sand. On her last day here I carried her down to the beach, sat on a log and held her so she that could see the view and smell the air one more time. She led me to find and appreciate the less popular versions of marine air, which are highly addictive and ultimately better. Sarrah seemed to have an affinity for salted air, in all of its forms: warm and strong, crisp and bright, cold and damp or even the bone soaking driven by wind. We walked the beach in search of sea glass (to collect) and sand dollars (to throw back), along the gurgling creek looking for fish, around the grounds and trails for less crowded nature. She happily stole bits of clam, crab and mussels from harassed crows and seagulls, who had dropped them onto the paved pathways to break them open. Sarrah loved the Puget Sound, especially all of the creatures and smells that come with it. We probably hoofed that all terrain trek at least five hundred times over the years, and around one hundred shorter versioned, driven in stops. I am certain that my occasional “giving in” further fueled this action, but making time to enjoy small victories is good for all. She would often insist on going there by taking a hard right, instead of the left turn on our usual daily trek down Marine View Drive. Despite its shortcomings, Sarrah loved this place instantly. These tired waves sort of heave themselves, splashing, thudding and pounding against the rocks. Here at an edge of the Puget Sound, where the ocean’s water works its way around the San Juan Islands, the small waves are more like swells. In the summer months the tide recedes further and if lucky enough or planned you can carefully walk out another fifty yards or so on the Barnacle covered rocks amongst the tide pools. Currently it’s more than half covered by the naturally occurring, growing log pile gifted by storms and kept in place by law. The semi-sandy beach is about forty yards by twenty at high tide. Here, the small public beach is choked by privately owned beaches, sea walls, rock cliffs, logs and rules. We became regulars to Salt Water State Park, a nice mile plus round trip walk from home. Treat a tidepool like an aquarium.We continued to discover and frequent gems of common interest. They are fragile environments, easily damaged by people wading or reaching into them with bare hands whose oils can affect the water's chemistry. Tidepools are homes to many plants and animals. Then as the tide recedes, the sculpin returns to its home pool by smell. When high tide reaches the sculpin's pool, it wanders away some distance looking for food. The sculpin is a predator, lying still, then suddenly darting out and opening its big mouth wide to gulp even smaller fish, shrimp, or crabs. ![]() And in twenty minutes, this little fish can change its appearance to closely match its immediate surroundings. The Tidepool Sculpin's color and pattern, mottled with brown, green, and black help it disappear into the background. In these fast changing conditions Tidepool Sculpins do just fine.Ĭreatures living in tidepools are vulnerable to predators. Evaporation makes the pool saltier, and rain dilutes it. Direct sun heats the water, and the returning tide suddenly cools it. Tidepools, depressions in rock that hold water when the tide is out, are home to many creatures. At its biggest, this fish is 3½ inches long. Of Puget Sound's many sculpin species, the Tidepool is among the smallest and most widespread. Sculpins are big-headed fish with tapered bodies and large front fins. Focus your attention long enough on a tidepool, and you're likely to see a Tidepool Sculpin suddenly dart past.
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