June, 2023
Definition of “estuary” … the tidal mouth of a river, where the out flowing river meets the incoming saltwater tide.
Relating that to Padilla Bay, where the Bay View State Park campground is, with both the Skagit River and the Samish River flowing into saltwater nearby, that means that Padilla Bay (and lots of other bays hereabouts) are part of the estuaries of those two rivers. The Skagit River, especially, is huge, one of the largest rivers flowing into saltwater on the west coast of the USA and/or Canada. Not THE largest, but one of them for sure.
On this camping trip, on my travels in the big white truck, on my drives north and south to see lots of other things here, I kept driving past this one sign that said “National Estuarine Research Reserve”. I wondered what that was, but didn’t stop because I had some other destination in mind. Today, I did not hesitate, I drove in. And I’m glad I did.
The building above is the main building with administration offices and the research center, and with the public estuarian habitat and wildlife exhibits that I’ll show you. The two buildings below are also part of this campus, and there were other buildings as well. It’s a big place; they must do lots of research and other good things here. Here’s their website.
I parked in the parking lot and then walked in towards the public exhibit section.
I reached the place where those other folks are standing. What a lovely view out under the overhead beams and plants and then out to Padilla Bay and the islands in the distance.
But … back in that open space between the two buildings with the solid roof overhead, where those people were … I realized all of them were watching something above them, something up under the roof. So, I looked up! 🙂
Here’s what I saw … dozens of birds nesting. The employees let them nest here. The employees clean the concrete below the birds at least three times a day. How cool!
Here’s a photo of one of the nests so you get a better idea of what’s going on up there. The white spots are not their eyes. The white spots are cheek stripes right behind their bills.
And then I went into the building to see the exhibits. Wow, I was impressed! It’s not overly huge but it’s packed with all manner of fascinating information … lots of photos, but also lots of large tanks with live fish, plants, and other things too many to mention.
Here (below) is how you enter …
And then you move into all of the exhibits and information.
The four photos below are of a tank where you can reach into the water and touch stuff. As many years as I’ve lived around Puget Sound, I’ve never touched those sorts of things. They felt a lot different than I thought they would. You’ll see my hand touching one thing. A micro-second after I took the photo below with my hand in the photo, that tan/orange being closed its white top pieces around my fingers and HELD ON! I guess it thought I was lunch! I was surprised how hard I had to pull to get loose. The woman behind the counter chuckled and said adults are as fascinated as the kids are with this, and yes you have pull HARD to get loose. 🙂
I’ll share with you a fraction of the photos I took. I was here for almost three hours. I’ll comment on a few things below, but mostly the photos are self-explanatory.
In the photo above, the animal in the lower right corner is a “crab zoea”. I’d never heard of it. Go look it up online.
Look at that “mouth” … the entire large end of it is the mouth, or oral “hood”.
Puget Sound is full of sea stars (commonly called star fish). I’ve seen millions of them. But I’d never seen the underside of one when it was crawling around on glass.
There were lots of signs here with photographs. The sign below talks about Cabezon fish … another thing I’d never heard of or seen. Wouldn’t it be cool to see a real live one, not just the photo that’s posted along with the sign.
I stood at that tank quite a while looking deep into the tank, hoping there might be a Cabezon down in there somewhere, hiding in the depths. I finally focused right in front of my nose … yeow!! It was right next to the glass! I was so surprised that I jerked back and had to catch myself, and I must have exclaimed because yet another staff member chuckled and told me they love to watch folks discover things here, it’s a real joy for them.
That Cabezon was huge!!
Ok, a couple more photos of other stuff …
And then I went back outside into the sunshine. Oh my that was fascinating.
Right next to the building was this Oregon Grape bush (not a grape). They are so pretty. They are native and wonderful. Our forests are full of them.
What a great place to visit! I will go back again when I’m in the area. I learned so much about things that I didn’t know anything about. And, next time, I hope I’ll still act like a kid when I see something so unexpected that it startles me or when a gentle looking little nudibranch grabs me and won’t let go. 🙂
How cool! This looks fascinating, I’d definitely visit if I’m ever there.
Put it on the list, Dawn. 🙂
Another place we haven’t been! We keep thinking that we’ve seen everything on our camping trips to western Washington. Obviously not! This was fantastic. Both of us were born and raised on the west coast of Canada, with all of those same sea creatures here. But we don’t remember them or never knew of many of them that are on display at the Padilla Bay center. This place is on our list! 🙂 Thanks Ann.
Jim
Jim & Janey … we really do need to meet up one of these days. The border seems to be open now. I bet there are a billion places to see, things to do, up in BC that I’ve never even dreamed of. I love your comments on the blog, thank you! 🙂
Me too, I didn’t know about hardly any of this stuff, tho I’ve seen lots of creatures under docks and on pilings my whole life on boats on Puget Sound. Guess I better follow Ann around too, Jim. I sure miss boating but maybe here’s another whole world that I’d really like, would give me something to do. Had nothing going on this weekend so I just emailed a couple of other old boater guys and we’ll be driving to Bay View and this research center this weekend.
Mark, I thought that camping on land would take me so far from the water that I wouldn’t like camping on land. But, as you know, there’s so much water in Washington! I still know of campgrounds around Puget Sound that I haven’t yet been to … and then there are just the parks and accesses that one can drive to without camping there. Hope you fellas get to Bay View. 🙂
Fascinating information! I wish I was there to see all of it! Maybe some day. No wonder people love the pacific northwest. How are these sorts of organizations funded? Is it public money? Can people donate/help? I’m stuck in the midwest, but I’d be happy to help preserve/save the environment around our oceans. I just see nothing online about that.
That Oregon Grape bush is gorgeous. Singing fish? What if it’s true?! And why not? This was really spectacular. Thank you!
Good questions! The Padilla Bay research center is funded by the State of Washington mostly, but they certainly do accept donations. They are a non-profit 501c corporation so donations are tax exempt. They are also part of the National Estuarine Research Reserves, so donations can be made through that organization as well. If you want more info or contacts, let me know. Everyone on the planet should be helping all of these efforts everywhere around the planet, yes?
Yeah, I liked the singing fish thing too, and it is really a true thing. 🙂
Beautiful blog Ann! Looks like a nice drive is in order for us soon!
Happy Summer!
Hi Melly! It rained down here today, bah humbug. Tho we sure needed the rain. And it has been cooler (my heat is on!). So summer might be over. I have another camping trip planned over to the Olympic Peninsula in a few weeks and then I’ll probably be home for the winter. But that Padilla Bay Research Center is open all year. Grab Vita and/or others and go. 🙂
Cool beans! 🙂 Never knew there were so many things in that water. So are those rubbery things that you touched with the white tubes on top plants, or are they animals? I can’t find them online.
Ha! Only one other guy I know says “cool beans”. 🙂
That rubbery thing is a nudibranch (pronounced nudibrank). More than one of them, the plural, is nudibranchs (nudibranks). They are animals. The “branch” or “brank” is the gill … so the word nudibranch means “naked/exposed gill”. Fun stuff. 🙂
We had no idea there was so much to see IN Puget Sound, not to mention around Puget Sound. Wish we still had an RV. We’d be up there in a heartbeat. Loved your descriptions of surprise and the reaction of the staff there. 🙂 Yes, let’s keep on being kids!
Oh, indeed, I’ve lived here most of my life, Marge, and I’m still amazed by so many things that I knew nothing about. I wonder if that’s true everywhere. Makes me itch to spend a year in my trailer just traveling up and down the west coast here … or the Great Lakes … or who knows? Yes, keep on being kids. 🙂
I used to own and run a boat on Puget Sound, not for fishing but just for my own pleasure. I’ve seen millions of sea stars too, Ann, haven’t we all. But I’d never looked at the underside of one, or seen the other animals in your photos here. Ok, probably I have seen some, but I never paid attention! This was wonderful and an eye-opening experience. Ha! if a huge three-foot-long Cabezon poked its nose into MY face, I’d have been on my butt on the floor LOL! I’ve never even heard of a Cabezon, but online says they are native here and they are all over Puget Sound.
I love Oregon Grape and Salal and Huckleberry and so many other plants that fill our forests. I hate it when people try to tidy up forest areas around homes. Please let it be natural and full of life, for the plants and the birds and the mammals, and for us.
Ok, gotta get back to the water and find one or many research centers like this one and go poke at stuff.
David, I don’t remember that I knew you had a boat. How cool is that? Another kindred soul. 🙂 Yep, isn’t that Cabezon info extraordinary? Makes me wonder what else is out here that I know nothing about.
And yes, please let’s support our forests and NOT clean them up but help them be full of life and plants and birds and all manner of animals. That rich and luscious understudy is what makes our forests so beautiful and healthy.
Wow, we didn’t have a clue. And to think there’s even more that you didn’t share. How rich the sea life is in Puget Sound!
Loved the monster mouth thing, and the oregon grape plant (are the berries edible?), and those little baby birds up in the corner. This was really great.
I liked that monster mouth thing too, M. I’d never heard of it, much less seen one, but now I’m going to be careful where I step when I’m walking in the water! 🙂
Oregon Grape berries are indeed edible. My momma used to make jam and jelly with them for our morning toast though she added sugar since those berries are a bit sour by themselves. My brother and I used to pick them for her, along with lots of other berries around where we lived back in those days. Good memories. 🙂
I am so glad that you discovered this place. I knew you would love it. It has been many years since I have been there and it has grown and changed A LOT. We need to go back.
Next: a discussion on the pronunciation of “Padilla”? (Pa-dill-a)?
Ah, pronunciation of “Padilla”. Usually I make a point of sharing that info, but this time I dropped the ball! 🙂 Ok, I’m going to post another blog post (maybe tomorrow) about the pronunciation. Keep me on my toes! 🙂
So much to learn and so much to see in the world. This is brilliant!
Isn’t that the truth? “So much to learn and see in the world”. Thank you Henry. Those are wise words. They encourage me to keep seeking and learning. 🙂