Year's lowest tides coming to Puget Sound

The lowest tides of the year are coming to Puget Sound starting this weekend.

Sea level in Seattle on Monday and Tuesday is expected to bottom out nearly four feet below the typical low tide.

The temporarily retreating shoreline will expose acres of seldom-seen tidelands.

“These low tides are a great opportunity to go out and see environments, habitats, places that are typically covered with water, that we don't typically get to visit unless we are willing to snorkel or scuba dive,” said Washington Sea Grant oceanographer Ian Miller.

Beach naturalists—tidepool experts—will be on hand at many beaches in King County Sunday through Thursday to help visitors appreciate the squishy, salty creatures all around and avoid harming them.

On Monday, members of the Swinomish Tribe plan to take advantage of the extra-low water to resume construction of the United States’ first modern clam garden on the tribe’s reservation near Anacortes.