Low Tide Adventure. Seattle, Washington

While not as abundant as ochre stars, mottled stars can be observed with regularity at Carkeek Park. If you typically struggle to distinguish the two this is a great spot to compare the species side by side. Typically mottled stars will have longer, more slender arms and a smaller central disk. I find that these are less commonly attached to rocks than other star species. Often they are partially clinging to a rock near its base or are simply found lying on the sand.

The two types of sea slug I have seen at Carkeek are the thick-horned nudibranch and the Monterey doris. Once again a moon snail casing provided a suitable hiding spot for the thick-horned nudibranch. When out of water these may be balled up and look somewhat featureless. Gently anoint the creature with a bit of sea water and it will likely reanimate. The doris could easily be overlooked as it assumes a dull hue when out of the water. If you see a squishy-looking shell-less brown creature adhering to a rock, there's a good chance it could be a doris.   

At Carkeek, ochre stars dominate the biological landscape. Though often found clinging to rocks, in crevices, ochre stars may occasionally be found upon the beach too. Many specimens can be quite large, with an almost bloated appearance! The color of the ochre stars here seems to represent a spectrum from deep purple to pink.

A good variety of anemones may be observed at Carkeek Park, many of which you will need to watch out for underfoot! Aggregating anemones can be found on almost any surface on this beach, including in the sand. You might find it quite tricky to avoid stepping on them. Moonglow anemones may also be found partially buried in the sand, but unlike the aggregating anemones, moonglows are solitary. Large anemones, such as the painted and plumose anemones, can be found dangling from rocks, typically closer to the base. Watch out as the occasional painted anemone may crop up from the sand!

At Carkeek, red sea cucumbers can be found in their typical haunts. They are easy to spot in rock crevices or dangling from a surface. You are likely to see more of the whole organism than just its tentacles.

These ribbon worms were exposed by a large rock that was moved by a human during low tide. These creatures, and other rock inhabitants, were disturbed and likely suffered for it. Nonetheless it provided an excellent opportunity to observe a large mass of these worms.