Extra-low (and high) tides coming to Puget Sound this week

Extra-low tides on Puget Sound May 8 to May 12 bring opportunities to witness sea stars and other colorful creatures along local shorelines.

Near Seattle, the lowest tides are expected midday on Thursday and Friday.

Later in the summer, many Seattle-area beaches will feature volunteer naturalists who help visitors learn about what they’re seeing and how to avoid harming the exposed creatures at a vulnerable time of their lives. This week, visitors will have to tread carefully to avoid crushing small animals and replace any small rocks they pick up exactly as they found them.

Tidepoolers might also use apps like Seek by iNaturalist to help identify the otherworldly creatures often found in tidepools—or check out this list of the 25 most-observed tidepool creatures in Seattle.

The U.S. Coast Guard warns that extra-low tides are often followed by extra-high tides.

Sea level is expected to yo-yo as much as 17 feet this week near Olympia.

The high "tidal swings" generate strong and, in places, dangerous currents as massive volumes of water ebb and flow.

The Coast Guard is asking boaters to make sure their vessels are moored securely or moved well above the usual high-tide line.

The extra effort should keep any boats or paddleboards from heading out to sea with no one aboard.

More exceptionally low Puget Sound tides are forecast for May 24-27, June 4-9, and June 20-25.

Correction, 4:30 p.m., 5/9/24: An earlier version misstated the timing of beach naturalist programs, which begin May 24 in the Seattle area.