Beach Days!

A highlight of the school year are our days spent exploring the beach. We go to a beach with a varied environment: sand, rocks, mussel and barnacle beds. We coordinate these trips with the lowest tides we can, and so we also get to explore eel grass and kelp beds from the sub tidal areas. 

Of course, throwing rocks in the water is always fun, but so is discovering what lives on, around, and under the rocks. We wave to the ferry passing by, and squeal about the waves it makes.

There are many boats at the top of the beach, some to play in. Here the Orcas are off to sea.

They are pulling this slalom water skiier.

Sometimes it's fun to sit a spell with a friend and reflect on all that we have seen on the beach.

This area has been named "Crab Festival" over the years. There are hundreds of little shore crabs taking shelter under the rocks.

It is just as interesting for parents as it is for the children. We saw fish, sand worms, shrimp, sea urchins, sea anemones, many different crabs, both large and small, sea stars and sunflower stars, brown striped nudibranchs, and more.

Oh, no! Man overboard! Let's rescue him!

A serious sailor in a canoe.

Making marks on the beach with a stick- an age-old pleasure.

We were happy to see some sea stars. There were almost none last year, since our sea star population has been suffering a wasting disease. It was good to see some back on Sea Star Rock.

Look! Sand collars! The eggs of the moon snail. We did not find any moon snails, as they are under the sand usually. We did find evidence of them, from their eggs, to the clam shells they made a hole in to get their dinner.

We all found beach treasures to share at our Hello Circle. We all had a lot of fun at the beach!