Ask the Estuarium
Need help identifying a critter on the beach or pier? Don’t know what an estuary is? Ask the Estuarium! We love questions and want to encourage you to explore and learn on your own even if you don’t have any knowledge about our beautiful estuarine ecosystem.
Remember to practice beach stewardship while exploring estuary life to keep the creatures on our beaches safe and healthy. Check out a crash course on exploring low tides in the video below!
Beach Stewardship Guidelines
- Be a mindful visitor, stepping carefully and gently. We are visitors to the beach that countless animals call home, many of which are unseen, hiding in the sand.
- Avoid flipping or moving rocks. If you are to move rocks, ensure they are smaller than your two fists, fingers facing inward. If you cannot move it with one hand, it is too big! If you see a rock flipped, consider flipping it back.
- Use one gentle, wet, finger touch to interact with animals. Do not pick-up, poke, or pry at animals. You can test your pressure of touch on the back of your ear. Run your one finger down the back edge of your ear. If you ear bends, you are pushing too hard!
- Leave animals, shells and other natural beach materials on the beach where you find them. Take only photos and trash from the beach. Help leave it better than you found it and in turn help out our animal friends!