Capture the King and share with Ecology

By Suzanna Stoike and Johanna Ofner, Department of Ecology

Public invited to share photos of high tide

Did you know some of the year’s highest tides occur in the winter?

These tides — often called “King Tides” — occur naturally when the sun and the moon align, causing an increased gravitational pull on the Earth’s oceans.

This year Washington’s king tides occur in December and January.

The Department of Ecology is again inviting residents and visitors to grab their cameras and head to the beaches for our third Washington King Tide Photo Initiative.

Visualizing what sea level rise might look like

Documenting how these King Tides affect our shorelines and infrastructure (roads, sea walls, buildings, etc.) in Puget Sound and our outer coast helps us visualize what sea level rise could look like in the future.

Ecology collected more than 400 King Tide photos in 2010 and 2011! You can see the photos at the Washington King Tides Photo Initiative’s Flickr Group.

You can view photos taken all along the West Coast on our partner’s Flickr sites: British Columbia, Oregon and California, including San Francisco Bay area, Santa Monica and San Diego.

Point, shoot and upload

To participate in this winter’s Washington King Tide Photo Initiative, follow these steps:

• Use Ecology’s King Tide Map & Schedule – Winter 2011-2012 to find the time and date of the highest tides in your area. Check out Ecology’s Coastal Atlas to locate a public beach.




• Take photos during one of the identified high tides in your area. We recommend taking photos in areas where high water levels can be gauged against familiar landmarks like sea walls, jetties, bridge supports, or local buildings.




• Upload your photos to the Washington King Tide Photo Initiative Flickr Group. Just follow the instructions on the page.

We look forward to seeing your photos for the 2011-2012 Washington King Tide Photo Initiative.

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