Maxwelton Tidepools

..Modiolus modiolus.. Northern horsemussel Northern horsemussel Northern horsemussel

..Mytilus californianus.. California mussel California mussel California mussel

..Cucumaria miniata.. Red sea cucumber Red sea cucumber Red sea cucumber

..Sabellid tubeworms.. Sabellid tubeworm tubes Sabellid tubeworm tubes

Maxwelton Tidepool team photo 2010 Maxwelton Tidepool team photo 2010

Bivalve dig Bivalve dig

Maxwelton team profiling Maxwelton team profiling

Team captain Tillie Scruton assembled a team of six to look at the Maxwelton Tidepools on May 16th . Whoever Tillie put in charge of weather did a great job as it was a beautiful day. This beach has a short stretch of cobble followed by a substrate composed mostly of sand along the profile line. A massive erratic is set in the sand about 200 feet from the start point and it is loaded with life. This year its inhabitants included red sea cucumbers (Cucumaria mineata), sabellid tubeworms, and surprisingly, northern horsemussels (Modiolus modiolus), a species rarely encountered on Whidbey Island. Another unusual find on the big rock was that of a large California mussel. Several kelp crabs (Pugettia productus) had taken refuge along the base of the erratic and it also served as an attachment point for a dozen strands of bull kelp.

Maxwelton Tide Pools-June 23, 2009

Maxwelton Tidepool team along profile line Maxwelton Tidepool team along profile line

Team photo Maxwelton Tidepools 2009 Team photo Maxwelton Tidepools 2009

Maxwelton Tidepool team looks under chunk of peat Maxwelton Tidepool team looks under chunk of peat

Sand lance Sand lance

..Pycnopodia helianthoides.. Sunflower star Pycnapodia Pycnapodia

Maxwelton Tidepools beach was not monitored last year but Linda and Mac LaMay stepped up to serve as team captains there this year and did a terrific job in their new role. The weather cooperated with beautiful sunny skies and the tide fell to the -3.8 feet mark resulting in a profile line that stretched out over 800 feet. The team of seven encountered a massive chunk of peat and pried one side of it up to discover the mother lode of hermit crabs hiding beneath it along with several colorful gunnel eels. They also found a

..Pycnopodia helianthoides..
Sunflower star

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sunflower star (Pycnapodia helianthoides)

sunflower star (Pycnapodia helianthoides), a pygmy rock crab (Cancer oregonensis), and hundreds of sand lances (Ammodytes hexapterus) sand lances (Ammodytes hexapterus) that had emerged from their hiding places in the sand only to be faced with a dry beach and hordes of very hungry (and also very lucky) sea gulls. One additional highlight was the preformance of some spectacular aerobatics during a flyover by two juvenile bald eagles.