Tidal Pools

The tide around this place is amazing.  When it is low tide the water drops anywhere from eighteen to thirty feet.  Once the water has dropped it is a great time to go down to the beach and see what you can see.  While we were in Aniakchak we found sand dollars in the pools.  They were this aqua green color.  All my life I wanted to find a sand dollar on the beach.  They aren't too common in the midwest.  The closet I had ever come was finding broken pieces on the beach in Penisacola Florida.  But in Aniakchak I found one, held it in my hands then placed it back into the water.  It  was amazing.

We also found a very small sea urchin.  It was a light purple one and I could not get over how small it was.  Next we found sea urchins.  When the tide would go out they would bury themselves in the mud.  It was facinating to watch these creatures with no arms or legs, just using the hole in the center of them to suck themselves into the muck.  We did find one that was in a tidal pool slowing moving to the rhythm of the water.  We found algae on the beach that was huge.  Kelp would lay in bunches along the beach.

We found some very interesting human things that washed up.  For instance, we found Japanese drink boxes.  The only way we knew that they were Japanese drink boxes is because the had the ingredient panel on them.  I could not tell what kind though.  I could however make out the Japanese milk carton because it had a cow on it.  Their milk cartons do not have missing kid pictures on them.  It is said that sometime next year stuff from the Japanese Tsunami will wash up on our beaches.  In a way that is interesting, in a way it is very sad.  Sad because the people over they suffered so much but also that such a beautiful beach will be covered in junk.

Lastly we found arctic cold water coral.  It was beautiful.  It lies flatter than coral you might see in the atlantic but it is bright pink and shines in the water.  Low tide was my favorite time of day as there is always something new to discover.