Tongue Point and Schmitz Park

The lowest tides of the season required us to visit Tongue Point Marine Reserve on the Olympic Peninsula.  Rain fell steadily on Western Washington on June 4th and 5th....except on Tongue Point which hid from it all in the Olympic rain shadow.  A few drops fell in the 4th but not enough to even put out a match.  On June 6th the low tide uncovered much less diversity at Schmitz Park than it did at Tongue Point but turned up some individuals that made up for it.
The next good low tide series will arrive July 1st and run through July 6th.   So if you have Seattle on your schedule I recommend you put one of the following beaches on your must visit list.   Alki Beach Park (Constellation Marine Reserve) south of Alki Light House.  Golden Gardens Park (north end of beach),  Carkeek Park (north end of beach), Lincoln Park (south end of beach).  If on the Olympic Pen.
of course it's Tongue Point Marine Reserve (at Salt Creek Recreation Area) 12 miles west of Port Angeles...don't forget to take in Hurricane Ridge (which can be done on the same day as the beach). Check the tide tables for time and plan to arrive at the beach 2 hours before low tide.
I also recommend Togas for lunch in Port Angeles at west end of town for excellent food.
Gretchen (wife) was in seaweed heaven at Tongue Point (not surprising since she is a seaweed expert) and the species diversity is to die for.  She will be offering a seaweed class (what to collect and what to eat) on July 1st.   (more info on this later).
A warning:  If you camp at Salt Creek Recreation Area (great camping spot) watch out for Raccoons as they will rob you blind and when the police ask you for a description of the thieves you just have to say,
"I don't know they were wearing masks".

In a totally different vein, my motorcycle (which is dearly loved) has gone to a new home.  So until my new ride arrives I'll have to borrow Gretchen's.  So the new motorcycle shed has much more space now and all the human powered bikes have space to relax.  Looks like rain today.....so maybe it's a good day for a movie.....Prometheus perhaps.  

Images below are mine and Gretchen's.....hers are the good ones (except for the first one which needs work)

Funny dressed author (looks clueless but has kneepads)
Gretchen F, photo

Black Katy chiton with Leather Limpet hitchhikers (Gretchen F photo)

Codium (dead man's fingers - Gretchen F. photo)

Yellow Lined Cadlina sea slug (Gretchen F. Photo)

Clown Nudibranch Juv. (Gretchen F. Photo)

Giant Pacific Barnacle

Leopard Nudibranch (sponge eater)

Rostanga pulchra (Red Sea Slug feeds on red sponge)

Rostanga pulchra (note eggs at top of photo)

Gretchen the seaweed queen

Garland Hydroids

Coraline Encased Tube Worms

Lined Chiton

Gumboot Chiton

Aggregate Anemone

Beach Naturalists playing hookie

Unidentified fish eggs

Sun Star

Sea Grass at Tongue Point

Green Anemone

Aeolid Sea Slug

Sea Lemons (6 inches) Schmitz Park

Sea Lemon eggs

Monterey Sea Lemon laying eggs

Sharp-nosed Crabs

C-O Sole (Schmitz Park)

Flatworm

Flounder Juv.  Schmitz Park

Lined Chiton

Opalescent Sea Slugs on Moon Snail sand collar

Lined Chiton

Pacific Gaper Clam

Spagetti Worm

Barnacles on Moon Snail sand collar

Graceful Kelp Crab

Spring Low Tides

The Spring low tides of the past month along with excellent weather have made beach exploration excellent.

Spotted Aglaja Aglaja ocelligera (Spotted Bubble Shell)
Predator on other bubble shell snails - has not radula and simply inhales victims

Shaggy Mouse Nudibranch - Aeolidia papillosa
Egg laying...any season
Feeds on anemones, sequesters both stinging cells and algal cells from anemone for own use in defense and also to add some solar power

Graceful Cancer Crab Cancer gracilis
With eggs

Graceful Cancer Crab Cancer gracilis
With eggs

Black Bubble Shell Snail Melanochlamys diomedea
Laying eggs
Feeds on nematode worms and is prey of Spotted Aglaja

Fish Eggs on Red Seaweed, likely Sculpin Eggs

Mottled Anemone (Painted Anemone) Urticina crassicornis

Sunflower Star Pycnopodia helianthoides

Sea Stars on piling under ferry dock

Rough Piddock Clam Zirfaea pilsbyri
having fallen out of burrow undercut by water movement

Red Rock Crab feeding on Helmet Crab

Sea Pen Ptilosarcus gurneyi
Under ferry dock
member of octocorals - eight tentacles on each polyp
Withdraws into sand when not feeding
Produces blue-green light when stroked
Feeds on plankton and is prey of Striped Sea Slug and other sea slugs

Jointed Three Section Tube Worm (bamboo tube worm)
Spiochaetopterus costarum
palps extending from tube remove waste from tube
feeds using cilia to produce water current and captures food with mucus balls

SpinyPink Scallop Chlamys hastata
Sponge grown on top of shell help protect scallop from suction using predators
has well developed eyes

Fifteen Scaled Worm Harmothoe imbricata
Often found in tubes of other worms
Female broods eggs beneath her scales until young are capable of swimming away
Ambush predator on other invertebrates

Leather Star Dermasterias imbricata
Feeds on anemones and other inverts
has smell of burnt gunpowder

Geoduck Clam

Pigeon Gullimot
only Alcid that nests in Puget Sound proper

Sea Lemon (unidentified species)  Dorid nudibranch that feeds on sponges

Sea Pen (see above)

Hairy Hermit Crab molting

Horse Clam

Spinynose Sculpin Asemichthys taylori
Common on Seattle beaches but often mistaken for Tidepool Sculpin
this sculpin has 1 to 4 rows of scales above lateral line, whereas Tidepool Sculpin has no scales

Slimy Snailfish  Liparis mucosus
Uncommon visitor to Seattle beaches, generally subtidal
Little known of natural histroy