Low Tide Adventure. Bainbridge Island, Washington

I've seen dozens of Lewis' moon snails at the ferry terminal May - July and not a single one in August. They are rather large but may be missed as moon snails tend to bury themselves in the sand to stalk their prey. Look for patches in the sand that are a darker color and look disrupted. Don't be tempted to dig out the moon snail, but check to see if you can observe part of them. You may also see them crawling along the bottom of the sand in the water. 

Plumose anemones hang from just about every beam underneath the docks. Mind your head!! You can also observe them attached to the bottom of posts in the water or simply upon the rocky ground. They have beautiful frilly tentacles you may see extended underwater.

I have seen the Monterey Doris both in and out of water and did not realize that it was the same species. There does not seem to be a pattern of where to look for these sea slugs. One was on the beach, another crawling along a surface, and one was in a pool of water in a dock post. Be aware that they can appear as bright yellow in the water but have a much duller, almost brown shade out of water. This can camouflage them against the background. The ones I spotted ranged about 5-8".

The colonial tunicates Botrylloides violaceus and Botryllus schlosseri are out in force at Bainbridge Ferry Terminal. They appear to proliferate upon any surface. The main difference between the two species is that the tunicates of B. schlosseri are arranged in flower shaped clusters whereas B. violaceus appears to have a more linear structure. Both appear much more shiny than species of sponge they may be mistaken for. They appear in a wide range of colors. 

These individual tunicates look like patches of chewing gum. There is only one spot under the ferry terminal that I have seen them- on the side of the floating dock by the southern pier. They are pretty easy to find and stand out among the feather duster worms and anemones. 

Bainbridge Ferry Terminal provides easy access to see a rich variety of Urticina grebelnyi, otherwise known as painted or Christmas anemones. Large specimens can be found all around- on the ground, attached to rocks, hanging from dock posts. I have even found one individual inside a large shell! The anemones range in color from red, to green, to an olive-brown or a combination of these shades. 

Ochre stars of every size and color are found almost everywhere throughout the ferry terminal docks. You will not need any help in discovering them! Look out for them beneath your feet, especially at the bottom of large rocks and dock posts, where tide pools form. There are often large clusters on them on the posts!

Likely it was a special treat to see this sea slug, but you might also get lucky. Check in the water for the dirona, captive water is your best bet such as in the broken off dock posts. They will appear to almost glow when you shine a light on them but are not easy to see in low light conditions.