easter walk [low tide]

Growing up a landlocked Hoosier, tide pools were something out of books. I remember being fascinated by them as a child. The vary existence of the creatures they contain was magical. 

Last month, Isaac, Glenn, Ada and I went exploring the low tide at Outer Point on Douglas Island.  That was the first time I saw a sea star out of captivity. Thursday, Isaac mentioned that the low tide was this weekend. We decided to try to make it our Easter activity. ["Try" because was have an infant who could alter plans at any moment.] Fortunately, he was wide awake at 6:30a. 

After Isaac made us a lovely breakfast scramble we headed out to Point Lena. We didn't really know where to go so we just took the trail until water.

Stretches of the trail were board.

 There were drops, climbs, and steps.

 These blooms remind me of the cranberries on the tundra.  I wonder if they will be a berry.

 We walked to the edge of the point, which was cliff.

 Naturally, Ada was running wild.  She generally circles and laps us many times whenever we hike.

 Our sleepy, but happy faces.  I carried Glenn on the front on the way out and on back for the return leg.  He dozed off during each.

 We back-tracked to the waters edge we saw on our way to the edge of the point.

 Barnacles and muscles covered the rocks closer to the forest.

I saw this sea star tucked up under the rock.  This area was more rocky than Outer Point, so many things were between rocks and less obvious.  

Isaac spotted a sunflower sea star, which had many more than five limbs.  The one we saw was about ten inches in span; they can be up to 3 feet in diameter!

We don't know what this creature is...yet. This is a mollusk called a chiton.  (My friend Amie identified it.) Isaac has an app called iNaturalist that identifies unknown nature. He submits a photo and its identification is then crowdsourced by other users.