[MikeBeebe]

Distance: Easily 500 feet -- maybe more! Altitude change: According to my GPS, a breath-taking 11 feet. That's taller than a 10-foot object! A minus tide blessed South Alki Beach on Friday, luring the brave from in front of their computer screens to challenge the perils of the tide pools. It was a lot like that show, The Deadliest Catch, except no one puked or got crabs. TRUE SCIENTIFIC FACT: When looking for things in tide pools. Look DOWN. Otherwise you'll just see haze and the occasional crapping gull.

Students on assignment collecting and inventorying tidepool life. This activity will prepare these kids for pretty much nothing they'll ever do in life.

Starfish clinging to a rock. Sure are a lot of them. That's because rent is so expensive on the other rocks.

Rock crab. It rocks!

Gull and lighthouse. See how many photographic rules are encapsulated in this photo! (answer: damn too few to make it interesting)

Gull eating a starfish, or as we landers call it, "Lunch at Ivar's".

The fabled Sea Crow of American Indian mythology. In the legends, Crow brought the native people the gifts of casinos and ATF-pants-crapping-level fireworks to sell to the white man.

Obligatory Boot Shot

It's a SEA ANEMONE. Very dangerous if you're a plankton.

Some kinda shell with a slimy thing living in it.

So there you have it. If you're currently an unemployed IT worker with time to kill and a way to get to South Alki beach, you too can see so many wonders of nature you'll wonder why you got off your couch in the first place. Enjoy!

[Tigerotor77W]

I love it.

[Magellan]

[Chief Joseph]

You need new boots.

[Scrooge]

Wow! The things you can do with Photoshop. Actually, Mike, that's pretty amazing. I've seen half a dozen at one time, but never a pile like that.

[seawallrunner]