I am not what you would consider an animal lover. I am not a fan of pets. I don’t necessarily enjoy encounters with animals in the wild, though I absolutely respect them and their ownership of the great outdoors. It is their home, and I’m just grateful to be granted passage. This is important to know because I love nature. I am always in nature, and thus always encountering animals in some way. But my favorite animals are the ones that call the sea their home. I might have dreamed of living a life of adventure under the sea cosplaying a certain mermaid named Ariel. For the record, I wouldn’t have traded my tail for legs!
Living in the Pacific Northwest, I am fortunate enough to be incredibly close to the sea and the many wonders contained in its depths. And a few times of year, we get to witness a tide low enough to expose the sea floor for miles. Whenever this happens, and I find myself free (or I make myself free, because … come on!), I make my way to Carkeek Park to do a little beach combing and marine biology-level exploring. Queue the theme music from the Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau.
If you grew up watching Jacques Cousteau or Steve Irwin or any of those zany wild life explorers, you know exactly how I felt when I walked into the shallow pools of water gathering along the base of otherwise submerged rocks or trapped in shifting sand dunes in the newly exposed sea floor. These pools are goldmines for all kinds of sea goodies. I was able to spot starfish and sea anemones of vibrant purples, oranges, and reds. I watched baby flounder and other fish dart around in the kelp beds which serve as nurseries for the oceans fish. I chased, and avoided, Dungeness crab hidden in the sand or walking away from the groups of eager humans traipsing through the water just like me. Each of us hoping to uncover something beautiful and magical in the warm, shallow waters of the season’s first super low tide. It didn’t hurt that it was also the warmest day of the year so far! I call that WINNING!
I admit to being timid at first. I had trouble seeing through the murky water and was more than a little nervous about stepping on some hidden sea creature. So, I did what any rational person would do and I joined a group of preschoolers who were enjoying a guided tour led by a professional marine biologist. That is how I learned about the kelp nurseries, saw my first crab of the day, and built my courage to roll up my pant legs and slosh through the knee-high, frigid waters of the Puget Sound. Three hours later, my heart was full and so was my camera roll. It was exactly what my soul needed and I can’t wait to do it again. Maybe I’ll head out to Lincoln park next time!
