sea otters.MOV

I stood among giant trees and I felt small,
I stood in the valleys of vast mountain ranges and I felt small,
I stood in the ocean waves and again I felt small...like a grain of sand against the giant ancient rocks
On this Earth, we are all small....we are nothing at all.....but guests for a short stay.

One of the most anticipated parts of my west coast adventure was the experience of tide pooling. The Pacific coastal shorelines of northern California and Oregon are so different from the Atlantic coastal shorelines of Florida, the other place where I have walked in Ocean waves. You see,  this part of the Pacific Ocean has rocks..big ones, small ones, tall ones, short ones, jagged ones and flat ones. As the wielding waves crash against these rocks they deposit the creatures that have hitched a ride on the surf.  There are also permanent residents affixed to the rocks depending on the intertidal zone.
The splash zone is the area above the high tide water line and mainly depends on sea spray and mist for water coverage. The characteristic species of the splash zone are the little acorn barnacles, sea lettuce and the periwinkle snail. 

The high zone is the area that is covered by most high tides. It is inhabited by the larger acorn barnacle, limpets, chiton and rock weed.

The mid zone is characterized by the seastar, the mussel and the gooseneck barnacle.
We climbed over and in between many rocks but unfortunately were never able to find a sea star. They were on my priority list of things to find so they will help mold the purpose for me to go back.



The low tide zone is mixed with organisms that can be found in both the high zone and the mid zone habitats and has large fleshy brown algae. Several algae species are common such as the feather boa and the sea palm. The low zone provides more food, shelter and protection and is therefore inhabited by a greater number of species.

On one of the beaches we explored, I began watching some children who were climbing on the rocks. I watched as they climbed over the barnacles, the sea lettuce and the mussels. I thought about reminding the children that the rocks were inhabited by living creatures but I did not. I watched as they carefully voyaged their way pointing out their discoveries to each other. The experience was spiritual for me. I learned from watching them.  I wished I could take my second graders to a place as magical as this beach. 

It was then that I remembered the trips I used to take my students on when I taught second graders in Milwaukee. Each year we took them to Doctors Park along Lake Michigan. This is where an owl flew out from under the bridge right in front of us as we walked the long wooded trail to the beach. This is where my students picked beautiful rocks out of the water and jumped over the incoming waves.

Bodies of water... whether they are oceans, rivers, lakes, streams, ponds or puddles are wonders of nature. Water is the life blood of all living things. Take your shoes off...put your feet in.

I will return to this place.