6770 Koehn Road Blaine
WA 98230
What’s the Point? Cherry Point! Please come to the Pt Whitehorn Marine Park for Whats the Point, a beach exploration event during a very low tide. It’s a great opportunity to explore this long beach and talk with naturalists who can help you get to know the community of animals and seaweeds that will be exposed and visible. Sandy tidepools, harbor seals relaxing on off-shore rocks, red rock crabs and sea stars hiding under rocks, all waiting for the tide to come back in. The shore of the Cherry Point Aquatic Reserve is an incredibly beautiful and surprising place!
The event runs from 10-2 on Saturday, June 22nd. Low tide is at 12:12: -2.76’. Pam Borso, a member of both the Audubon and Native Plant Societies, will lead a bird and plant walk along the ¾ mile (accessible) trail to the beach beginning at 10:15. She is particularly good at identifying birds by their songs! Doug Clark, geology prof at WWU, will conduct a field tour on the beach at 11:00. Do you know how the beach we see today was formed? Come and find out!
There will be display booths: the Marine Mammal Stranding Network will have pelts of seals and sea lions to touch; kids can learn how watersheds work at the Whatcom Conservation District’s scale model; the Whatcom Marine Resource Committee can tell you about their effort to restore Olympic oysters; the Marine Life Center will regale you with their deep knowledge and excitement about the shoreline and the ocean. Many other organizations with interests in marine lands and issues will also be there.
Signs at Grandview and Jackson Rd will direct you to parking at BP’s lot at 7039 Jackson Rd. Blaine-Birch Bay Parks and Recreation will provide a shuttle from there to the Park, beginning at 9:45. The trail to the beach is packed gravel and accessible by wheelchair, and disabled parking is available at the Park parking lot. Whatcom County Parks does not allow dogs on this beach, so please do leave them at home. And don’t forget reef-safe sunscreen, water and snacks. You may not be ready to leave the beach when your belly tells you it’s lunch time!