SHORELINE — They aren’t exactly in the hospitality industry, but that didn’t keep marine life from opening their home to guests on the lowest tide day of the summer.
A considerable crowd of children, parents and others visited Richmond Beach Saltwater Park on Tuesday, July 11, for a chance to catch a glimpse of sea stars, crabs, anemones and other living creatures that inhabit the Puget Sound. The tide was at its lowest of the summer, minus 3.1 feet.
With her two young children, Eileen Landay of Seattle’s Greenlake neighborhood came to view the marine life. She heard about the event from a friend.
“He’s gone to the aquarium,” said Landay about her 4-year-old son, “but this is the first time he’s seen (marine life) in the wild.”
To help novices learn about marine life, volunteers from the Beach Naturalist program were on hand to answer questions and help identify various creatures. The volunteers, who wear khaki vests and hats with an orange crab emblem, receive 24 hours of training in the classroom and at the beach, said Richmond Beach resident Fran Murray, who has been involved in the program for seven years. Murray is an employee of the Seattle Aquarium, which together with several other organizations sponsors the program.
“We find that the best approach is to let people find things or have them ask us to point things out to them,” Murray said.
About 25 volunteers are involved in the Beach Naturalist program. It is required that each volunteer sign up for three of 12 events organized at seven beaches in King County.
Low tide allows people to view starfish, clams, sea anemones, sea cucumbers, fish that live in shallow water, snails and hermit crabs, she said, adding that the naturalists also teach conservation of the near-shore environment.
“If people learn to like and love creatures that are there, they will take care of them,” Murray said. “It is a great opportunity to learn about what is in our own backyard.”
This is the fourth year the city of Shoreline has participated in the Beach Naturalist program, said Shoreline recreation coordinator Mary Anne Kelly.
“They are very well-attended,” Kelly said. “There are about 200 people per time.”
Beach Naturalist Dan Benson, of Everett, said one creature he doesn’t normally see, but which was visible on the lowest tide day of the summer, was a sun star, which are usually found in the outer tidal reaches. Some sun stars are 8-10 inches across, although many grow as big as garbage-can lids, he said.
When the beach is heavily visited, such as on low-tide days, Benson said the “critters” tend to be vulnerable and stressed. It is important that visitors be careful not to disrupt marine life, he said.
“In the three years I have volunteered, the etiquette is getting better,” said Benson.
To become a Beach Naturalist volunteer, contact Seattle Aquarium Beach Naturalist coordinator, Janice Mathisen, at 206-386-4365.
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