Nudis, Hail, and Decoy Ducks

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What's new at the Rock these past few weeks? Glad you asked! Not only has the weather been completely and utterly unpredictable, but unique animals and marine debris have been making appearances.

On March 1st, Environmental Interpreters, Gina and Kari, spotted opalescent and barnacle nudibranchs which can be seen in the pictures below.


A Barnacle Nudibranch, Onchidoris Bilamellata, hiding in the center/left of the picture above, is among barnacles and anemones and has most likely just laid the egg mass seen in the upper left portion of the image.


The beautiful Opalescent Nudibranch, Hermissenda Crassicornis, pictured above, was seen on March 8th as it relaxed in a tide pool, soaking in the calm morning low tide.

Interpreters, throughout the past two weeks, saw HIGHLY variable weather patterns, causing high wind, surf, and surge warnings. In the image below, check out the hail covering the beach at Haystack Rock (and awesome staff and visitors still out tide pooling in the crazy weather!).


The blustery and rough weather brought in more pyrosomes, Pyrosoma Atlanticum, as well as a decoy duck covered in barnacles, found by interpreters Kari, Alan and Gina on March 4th. Fun note: don't bring in marine debris and leave them in the staff office unless you like being unpopular amongst your coworkers. ;)




Many of our beach shifts have been cancelled the past two weeks because of stormy weather, but it seems as if Spring may soon be gracing us with some calmer weather. We'll keep our webbed feet crossed!

-- Puff, the Tufted Puffin


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