STORY BY JENNIFER GERVAIS  PHOTOS BY ROY W. LOWE Curious but shy, these pinnipeds spend time both in the water and on land. They are often seen “hauled out” on rocks or beaches, sleeping or basking in the sun. They decorate offshore rocks like salty bananas practicing yoga, balanced with […]

Whether met tumbling in the surf, bubbling from beneath the sand, or stranded by the receding tide, the lowly Pacific mole crab, or sand crab, deserves a second look. While not the most glamorous of our coastal wildlife sightings (some say creepy), this simple, ancient crustacean—the size of a big […]

Story and photos by Joanne Carroll-Huemoeller We have a surprisingly large number of sponges in our Pacific Northwest waters and they seem to thrive. Using the words primitive and complex in the same phrase, as in the title of this article, rings of an oxymoron. Sometimes, however, things are not […]