Beach Etiquette

• Always be aware of where you're walking - never run. You may inadvertently crush animals living just under the surface of the sand or you may fall and hurt yourself. Accidents are more likely to happen to you and the animals when you run. Walk slowly and quietly for the best viewing success!
• If you move plants or rocks, please put them back exactly as you found them. Many of the critters who live on the beach have very specific requirements in order to survive. If you remove them from their habitat, they may fall prey to feet, predators or the elements and die.
• Never move rocks bigger than your own head. The rocks are heavy and you can squish you fingers or your foot!
• Dry hands can hurt animals. Always touch intertidal life with wet hands.
• Handle the animals GENTLY. Do not pry the animals off surfaces, you can hurt them.
• Hold animals close to the ground, in case they run off your hand. They won't have so far to fall that way.
• Don't remove an animal from the water for very long. A good rule of thumb: lift it up, count to ten slowly while you look at it, and put it back.
• Always return each animal to the exact spot where you found it. If you don't place them back where you found them, they probably won't survive for many reasons: wrong habitat, no food, the wrong food, and predators to name a few.
• Nothing living goes home with us. If you take live animals or plants home they will die and get thrown away where no one else will ever have a chance to enjoy them.
• Please leave rocks, shells and sticks on the beach. The animals use these things as shelter and even food. Did you know that the skeleton of a sand dollar is like a vitamin pill for other creatures?
• Bring a bag to collect litter as you walk on the beach. Many of the animals who live in and around the water do not chew or taste their food. They just gulp it! Even tiny pieces of litter can hurt the animals so please be sure to dispose of your trash and recyclables in the proper place.
• Avoid stepping in tide pools. Many animals shelter there during the low tide, and it may be too crowded for them to avoid large, dangerous feet!
• Crabs are popular critters on the beach! Here are some special tips for meeting crabs:
• Please don't chase them when you flip a rock. They are running for shelter because they think you're going to eat them. Don't flip over more than one rock to get at them. Eventually you'll find one who is a little slower and you can get a closer look.
• To pick up a crab without getting pinched, hold it GENTLY with your thumb on it's belly and our finger on the back of its shell. Unless it's a VERY large crab, it won't be able to reach you. Many shore crabs are too small to pinch hard, but be careful with the larger ones - they can really hurt!
• Be very careful handling hermit crabs. They can fall out of their shells easily which will make them very vulnerable. If this happens, put it back exactly where you found it with the shell right beside it, and don't disturb it anymore.
• If the crab appears to be blowing bubbles, it needs to go back into a cool, wet spot. But don't put it in a tide pool unless you found it there.

Best Beach Behavior information taken from "Terror in the Tidepools", People for Puget Sound and "Your Beach Walkers Good Manners Guide to Exploring Northwest Beaches", Alan Rammer, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.