While in the Seattle area, it gave us the opportunity to visit the washington coast for the day.
We didn’t have any idea how parking was or what each beach had to offer. we decided to make a day of it and visit the beaches. we visited the beaches late April when the temperatures were about 55 degrees at the beach and 70 in town. 55 on the beach was COLD.
we drove through seattle, tacoma, and olympia before visiting a couple public beaches.
the first beach we visited was a public access beach. when visiting this beach, you could drive right down on the sand and not have to worry about parking or unloading your vehicle. when we arrived, the fog was thick and the temperature was rising, however, the entrance to the beach had low viability so we walked to the water and down the coastline.
the second beach we stopped at had paid public parking available. we decided to continue on to find another public access beach.
at the second public access, it was significantly less foggy and much warmer. we parked and crossed a small stream. we found more sand dollars at this beach compared to the first as well as the crab. we tried digging for razor crabs with a stick (note to self: bring a shovel next time). towards the end of our adventure, we washed sand dollars in another small stream before starting back to our car.
Things to search for
Within a few hours of arriving at the beach we were able to find many crabs, sand dollars, and even a starfish.
Starfish
ochre sea stars are common to find on the washington coast. commonly found in their purple or orange color, they are usually found in cold water and cling to rocks or are found washed up in the sand like the one we saw pictured above. These sea stars prey on mussels, snails, and barnacles.
Sand Dollar
live sand dollars typically appear purple or brown in color. Sand dollars can live in shallow waters or in rough waters, however, they bury themselves into the sand to keep from being swept away.
They move slowly using their spines. live sand dollars become stranded easily when the tide goes out.
dried sand dollars are white in color and no longer have little spines that help them move around. if you’re going to collect them, be sure you aren’t taking live ones.
crabs
There’s several kinds of crabs off the coast of washington including Dungeness, soft-shell, rock, and king crab.
blue swimmer crabs are the largest species of crab in washington. they grow up to 25 centimeters or almost 10 inches.
View how to identify crabs here.
Also, view crabbing rules and regulations here.
Razor Clams
razor clams are also a big attraction for the washington beaches. people of all ages can dig for clams just bring a shovel and a bucket.
These clams are mainly found on intertidal beaches (those with low tide). A few of the main harvest areas include Long Beach, twin harbors, and mocrocks.
view clam rules and regulations here.
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