Exploring the Tidal Pools
While the Tide is
Out We Get to Go Play and Discover!
Tom and I listen to NPR on the local radio station 100.1
KMXT Kodiak, FM. It's not like the station I'm used to back in Kansas where
everything is surrounded by classical music, Celtic music, or blue grass. Here
in Kodiak, the music on this station revolves around the NPR news, local
events, radio talk shows, some classical, but the rest ranges from rock to
alternative to funk to just down-right kookie. It's an interesting station to
say the least.
One day, while
listening to the upcoming events going on in Kodiak, I heard about Beach
Combing while the tide was out. It was going to be Saturday morning at 10:00am
at the Visitor's Center. I talked Tom in to it and away we went. When we got to
the Kodiak visitor center no one else was around. We knew very quickly that we
were at the wrong place. After talking to the lady inside the Kodiak visitor
center, we realized that we were supposed to meet at the Ft. Abercrombie
Visitor Center. I was about to give up, figuring we would never make it in time
(it is half way across town), when the kind woman suggested that we would not
miss it and that if we left now we would probably catch them before they left.
"It's well worth the effort," she encouraged.
So, off we went. And, sure
enough...the group was ready to leave for the beach just as we got there...we
made it in time!
After hiking through the woods and past the fresh water lake, we
made it to the beach.
Debbie, the Park Ranger there to teach
us, handed out buckets, gloves, identification sheets on the marine life, and
net scoopers to go get some fun items to look at.
Tom and I each got a bucket of our own, while I got to hang
the identification sheet around my neck (I felt like I was back in grade school,
but I didn't care. It was fun!).
Before we knew it, Tom and I had collected
little creatures and placed them in to our bucket for further analysis. There
were six-legged star fish, crabs, and so much more.
At times, were even able to find rocks that we could turn over and see all of the star fish, etc, clinging to the bottom side. Everyone would run to come looking. There were several young girls there and they would especially want to see what everything there was to see. Girls after my own heart!
If we didn't know what something was, Debbie (the Park Ranger) would explain all about it. She had been in Kodiak only for a short while. Before that, she had been to Yellowstone National Park for a season. She was full of stories about her adventures and it was a delight to hear about all the wildlife she had been exposed to!
The sun was out, the tide was out, and the sea creatures were abundant. We also saw eagles flying over head, and Puffins flapping their little wings (looking like bats from the distance). Through binoculars I could just barely see the white and red colors of their beaks. Everyone was smiling and happy, exploring and having fun. I loved every minute of it!!!
Guess we can check this one off our list of things we most want to do on the island!
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