(WSB photo from minus-3-foot low-low tide in 2018)

This week marks the start of low-low tide season on our shores – the time of year when the lowest tides dip to minus 2 feet and beyond, during daylight hours so you can explore without a flashlight! Highlights from the chart: Today at 12:41 pm, the low tide bottoms out at -1.6 feet; tomorrow, it’s -1.9 at 1:21 pm; Wednesday, it’s -2.0 at 2:05 pm, and that’s the lowest tide of the week. These are the new-moon low tides; later this month the full moon takes them out even further, including -2.2 at noon on Sunday, May 19th (hang around after the West Seattle 5K!) and -2.3 at 12:38 pm on Monday, May 20th. Looking beyond, June’s lowest tide is -3.0 at 1 pm on Wednesday, June 5th. In July, the lowest tide of the summer arrives: -3.4 on the 4th (and the day before!). If you go exploring during low tides, please tread lightly! Expert guidance will be available at Constellation and Lincoln Parks when Seattle Aquarium volunteer beach naturalists visit on certain dates in June, July, and August (see the dates and times here).