Seward, Alaska
Another gray, cloudy faux-winter day with light rain, temps in the 30s.
Last month, on December 23, the highest tide of the year reached 13.6’, a respectable height for Seward. This week, the daylight tides steadily climbed from a 12-footer on Thursday morning to 13.4’ on Sunday afternoon, shrinking area beaches to little or nothing and limiting access.
At 2 pm today, high tide 13.0’, Fourth of July beach seethed and surged with incoming fingers of curling waves. They hissed through the bedraggled beach rye grass and licked the remaining crusty snow before sliding back, leaving a curtain of lacy foam.
Just ahead of me, I noticed little dark stones, flung by the waves onto the snow and sand. Many of them. I looked closer and discovered to my amazement that they were marine amphipods, larger than the usual “beach shrimp” at up to an inch long.
Most were dark, but a few were tan. After recovering from the shock of being torn from under their nearby intertidal rock homes, they crawled along the unfamiliar snowy landscape in an alien world, seeking shelter from the chilly weather and exposure.
Some, more adventurous (or anxious), curled their abdominal plates underneath and quickly snapped them straight, launching them forward up to 8” or even a foot. It was quite impressive!
I found an abandoned clam shell and scooped up a dozen at a time; they immediately curled into a protective ball that reminded me of fern fiddleheads. As the waves receded, I dashed down, lifted a rock, dumped out the precious cargo and carefully replaced the roof, hoping they might burrow to safety before the next sucking surge. It was hopeless to save them all; dozens more crawled and hopped all around me.
I was surprised that the normally watchful gulls and ravens or other birds had not noticed this surprising feast delivered by the waves. Such tasty protein, substantial servings, and plentiful.
When returned the next day, all was quiet, the secretive intertidal life once again invisible to this human’s eye. I appreciate what that powerful high tide revealed to me; so interesting!
Update: According to "Common Sea Life of Southeastern Alaska, a Field Guide by Aaron Baldwin and Paul Norwood," the beach hoppers I found could be the Common Beach Hopper, aka Splash Zone Beach Hopper (well named) possibly Traskorchestia traskiana. Although described at 2 mm, the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology says 20 mm is possible, about the size I estimated.
However, as there are over 700 representatives in Alaska alone, are extremely difficult to identify in the field and often require dissection, I won't know for sure. Still, it's fun to learn about them. Who knew that amphipod females have a little pouch called a marsupium to brood the eggs and shelter the juveniles. Amazing world!
The field guide could be a menu for birds dining at the beach.
Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
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