Stranded boats found as Puget Sound faces low tides

SEATTLE — On Thursday, Chopper 7 spotted several boats and buoys that were stranded as the Puget Sound faced another day of low tides.

On Wednesday, the lowest tide was recorded in 13 years and was 4.28 feet below normal during the afternoon.

However, Thursday’s tide in the Sound was forecast at 4.11 feet below normal at 12:58 p.m., according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

A wobble in the moon’s orbit, which is nearing its peak, is making tides roll in and out more powerfully than usual, according to a report from KUOW.

While at Golden Gardens, KIRO 7′s Kevin Ko talked to Seattle resident Alison Krupnick, who has a love for low tides.

“We pay attention to this. We come out all the time when there’s a low tide. And I know that this one is historic,” Krupnick said.

While she enjoys the experience of low tides, Krupnick said her husband is a tide dork.

“I myself am not a tide dork. My husband is and when we were raising our kids, it’s always something we’ve enjoyed is coming out here to experience the low tides. It’s one of the best things about living in this neighborhood.”

This week, her love for low tides is running high.

Krupnick wasn’t the only person enjoying the low tide. Seattle resident Cary Washburn was found enjoying the low tide and is a fan.

Washburn explained that during low tide, “People can see stuff that’s not normally encountered on their walks on the beach.”

While low tide brought joy for some, it had a high impact on ferry travel. The Washington State Department of Transportation said the tide restricted travel for oversized vehicles who tried to take the Edmonds/Kingston or Mukilteo/Clinton routes.

There were also sailings that were canceled in Port Townsend and Coupeville.

Now for those who plan to stay on shore, the Seattle Aquarium is offering tours with beach naturalists, or you can go solo to a beach on your own.

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Low-tide at Mukilteo Beach Courtesy Megan Cao

“It’s just a wonderful way of connecting with nature in the city, especially during the pandemic, how, for the last couple years, it hasn’t necessarily felt safe going into a lot of spaces,” said James Kuhn of Seattle.

While low tides are a great time to explore tide pools, experts say that very low tides are the most stressful times for soft-body creatures that are almost always underwater, according to KUOW.

Be sure to step carefully.

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