The Odd Life of Tide Pools on the Olympic Peninsula

Hole-in-the-Wall is a short hike north from Rialto Beach.

photography by James Harnois

AS THE TIDES go in and out, sea life constantly adapts. Visit Rialto Beach or Second Beach on the Olympic Peninsula while the tide is out, and you’ll find seawater trapped in tide pools. Prepare for the greatest reward—these pools are teeming with life, from anemones to starfish to colorful algae.

A man hikes out on the rocks during low tide at Rialto Beach.

A giant green anemone is visible during low tide near Hole-in-the-Wall.

Starfish cling to a rock during low tide at Second Beach.

Bridget Ideker, of Tacoma, and Julia Gervais, from Minnesota, explore tide pools at Second Beach during the early morning.

Acorn and gooseneck barnacles surround mussels on a rock during low tide.

Gooseneck barnacles blanket a rock at Second Beach.

The morning sun kisses the Second Beach trail on the Olympic coast.