Harbor WildWatch
@harborwildwatch.bsky.social
Inspiring stewardship for the Puget Sound and Greater Salish Sea through education. Visit our Marine Life Center in downtown Gig Harbor, attend one of our many free programs, or follow along on social media to Learn and Have Fun. (The HWW motto!)
Check out our weekly newsletter: Blue Water Task Force Results, Winter Beach Monitoring, and Holiday Hours!
conta.cc/48hvHNE
conta.cc/48hvHNE
November 21, 2025 at 2:15 AM
Check out our weekly newsletter: Blue Water Task Force Results, Winter Beach Monitoring, and Holiday Hours!
conta.cc/48hvHNE
conta.cc/48hvHNE
Have you decorated for Halloween? This sharp nosed decorator crab is decorated to help them blend in with their chosen habitat. This one has decorated itself with tunicates and sponges. These crabs have Velcro-like hooks on their carapace which helps things to stick. #crab #docktober
October 23, 2025 at 12:52 AM
Have you decorated for Halloween? This sharp nosed decorator crab is decorated to help them blend in with their chosen habitat. This one has decorated itself with tunicates and sponges. These crabs have Velcro-like hooks on their carapace which helps things to stick. #crab #docktober
PLANKTON: WANDERERS OF THE SALISH SEA🌊
From diatoms to Lion’s Mane Jellies, come learn all about the organisms that keep our ocean ecosystem running!
The Marine Life Center is located in Downtown Gig Harbor, and is open Wed-Sun 11-6pm. FREE ADMISSION. We’ll “sea” you soon!🦀
#plankton #salishsea
From diatoms to Lion’s Mane Jellies, come learn all about the organisms that keep our ocean ecosystem running!
The Marine Life Center is located in Downtown Gig Harbor, and is open Wed-Sun 11-6pm. FREE ADMISSION. We’ll “sea” you soon!🦀
#plankton #salishsea
October 12, 2025 at 12:15 AM
PLANKTON: WANDERERS OF THE SALISH SEA🌊
From diatoms to Lion’s Mane Jellies, come learn all about the organisms that keep our ocean ecosystem running!
The Marine Life Center is located in Downtown Gig Harbor, and is open Wed-Sun 11-6pm. FREE ADMISSION. We’ll “sea” you soon!🦀
#plankton #salishsea
From diatoms to Lion’s Mane Jellies, come learn all about the organisms that keep our ocean ecosystem running!
The Marine Life Center is located in Downtown Gig Harbor, and is open Wed-Sun 11-6pm. FREE ADMISSION. We’ll “sea” you soon!🦀
#plankton #salishsea
Happy World Octopus Day! Our Pacific Red Octopus, Roomba, came out and put on a show this morning. We’re open Wednesday through Sunday, from 11am-6pm and we’re located in the heart of downtown Gig Harbor. You can’t miss it, it’s the building with octopus arms! #worldoctopusday #marinelofecenter
October 11, 2025 at 12:04 AM
Happy World Octopus Day! Our Pacific Red Octopus, Roomba, came out and put on a show this morning. We’re open Wednesday through Sunday, from 11am-6pm and we’re located in the heart of downtown Gig Harbor. You can’t miss it, it’s the building with octopus arms! #worldoctopusday #marinelofecenter
Roomba has found a new den!🐙
Octopus live in “dens”, secure places that they can hide their soft bodies from would be predators. These dens can often be identified by their “gardens”, decorations made from the parts of past meals!
Stop by the Marine Life Center Wednesday-Sunday 11-6pm to see her!👀
Octopus live in “dens”, secure places that they can hide their soft bodies from would be predators. These dens can often be identified by their “gardens”, decorations made from the parts of past meals!
Stop by the Marine Life Center Wednesday-Sunday 11-6pm to see her!👀
September 8, 2025 at 8:39 PM
Roomba has found a new den!🐙
Octopus live in “dens”, secure places that they can hide their soft bodies from would be predators. These dens can often be identified by their “gardens”, decorations made from the parts of past meals!
Stop by the Marine Life Center Wednesday-Sunday 11-6pm to see her!👀
Octopus live in “dens”, secure places that they can hide their soft bodies from would be predators. These dens can often be identified by their “gardens”, decorations made from the parts of past meals!
Stop by the Marine Life Center Wednesday-Sunday 11-6pm to see her!👀
We’re forever curious about tidepools!
September 2, 2025 at 11:54 PM
We’re forever curious about tidepools!
Join us for Salish Sea Storytime! 🐙📖
Every Wednesday at 11:30am, join one of our naturalists as we dive into different stories about our waterways!
After the story, we have a short activity for kiddos to show their creative side! Join us on Wednesdays for this FREE weekly activity! 🦀
#storytime
Every Wednesday at 11:30am, join one of our naturalists as we dive into different stories about our waterways!
After the story, we have a short activity for kiddos to show their creative side! Join us on Wednesdays for this FREE weekly activity! 🦀
#storytime
August 28, 2025 at 11:37 PM
Join us for Salish Sea Storytime! 🐙📖
Every Wednesday at 11:30am, join one of our naturalists as we dive into different stories about our waterways!
After the story, we have a short activity for kiddos to show their creative side! Join us on Wednesdays for this FREE weekly activity! 🦀
#storytime
Every Wednesday at 11:30am, join one of our naturalists as we dive into different stories about our waterways!
After the story, we have a short activity for kiddos to show their creative side! Join us on Wednesdays for this FREE weekly activity! 🦀
#storytime
What wonderful creatures will we find during the next round of extreme low tides? Join us to learn more about flatworms and other amazing sea life that calls the Salish Sea home. More details for each beach tour can be found on the Harbor WildWatch website including where to meet. #beachtour
July 19, 2025 at 8:43 PM
What wonderful creatures will we find during the next round of extreme low tides? Join us to learn more about flatworms and other amazing sea life that calls the Salish Sea home. More details for each beach tour can be found on the Harbor WildWatch website including where to meet. #beachtour
Fourth of July Sea Cucumber
July 4, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Fourth of July Sea Cucumber
Roomba, our current Pacific Red Octopus (Octopus rubescens), was out and about today exploring her habitat! Here is a great example of how these octopuses can change the color and texture of their skin. Roomba went from bright red, to a tawny brown, and then a white shade within seconds. 🐙
July 3, 2025 at 5:33 AM
Roomba, our current Pacific Red Octopus (Octopus rubescens), was out and about today exploring her habitat! Here is a great example of how these octopuses can change the color and texture of their skin. Roomba went from bright red, to a tawny brown, and then a white shade within seconds. 🐙
This weekend we walked the Maritime Gig Festival Parade as a “smack” of jellies!
One of the biggest events in Gig Harbor, our Harbor WildWatch crew and volunteers designed their own jelly costumes to walk in the parade with🪼
All that hard work paid off, we won Best Costume in the parade! Woohoo!
One of the biggest events in Gig Harbor, our Harbor WildWatch crew and volunteers designed their own jelly costumes to walk in the parade with🪼
All that hard work paid off, we won Best Costume in the parade! Woohoo!
June 11, 2025 at 7:33 PM
This weekend we walked the Maritime Gig Festival Parade as a “smack” of jellies!
One of the biggest events in Gig Harbor, our Harbor WildWatch crew and volunteers designed their own jelly costumes to walk in the parade with🪼
All that hard work paid off, we won Best Costume in the parade! Woohoo!
One of the biggest events in Gig Harbor, our Harbor WildWatch crew and volunteers designed their own jelly costumes to walk in the parade with🪼
All that hard work paid off, we won Best Costume in the parade! Woohoo!
Happy World Otter Day!
May 30, 2025 at 4:58 AM
Happy World Otter Day!
On Wednesdays we wear pink.
May 21, 2025 at 3:18 PM
On Wednesdays we wear pink.
Talk about texture! This is the arm of an ochre star, Pisaster ochraceus. Sea stars belong to the phylum Echinodermata which means “spiny skin” clearly seen here. The skin is covered with gills and to keep them clear of any debris they possess tiny pinchers called pedicellariae #seastar #salishsea
May 4, 2025 at 12:23 AM
Talk about texture! This is the arm of an ochre star, Pisaster ochraceus. Sea stars belong to the phylum Echinodermata which means “spiny skin” clearly seen here. The skin is covered with gills and to keep them clear of any debris they possess tiny pinchers called pedicellariae #seastar #salishsea
Join Harbor WildWatch for a fun, educational and FREE public tour along the stunning shorelines of the Salish Sea. Please check the website calendar for program details such as where to meet, what shoes to wear, Discover Pass needs for State Parks, etc: Harborwildwatch.org #learnhavefun #lowtide
April 25, 2025 at 11:05 PM
Join Harbor WildWatch for a fun, educational and FREE public tour along the stunning shorelines of the Salish Sea. Please check the website calendar for program details such as where to meet, what shoes to wear, Discover Pass needs for State Parks, etc: Harborwildwatch.org #learnhavefun #lowtide
Happy volunteer appreciation week!
There is absolutely no doubt about it, we could not do what we do without our AMAZING volunteers!
Please join us in saying a big and heartfelt THANK YOU to our amazing volunteer team!🦀
There is absolutely no doubt about it, we could not do what we do without our AMAZING volunteers!
Please join us in saying a big and heartfelt THANK YOU to our amazing volunteer team!🦀
April 25, 2025 at 12:54 AM
Happy volunteer appreciation week!
There is absolutely no doubt about it, we could not do what we do without our AMAZING volunteers!
Please join us in saying a big and heartfelt THANK YOU to our amazing volunteer team!🦀
There is absolutely no doubt about it, we could not do what we do without our AMAZING volunteers!
Please join us in saying a big and heartfelt THANK YOU to our amazing volunteer team!🦀
Happy Fry-Day! 208 of these little chum salmon fry were released last week by students from Minter Creek Elementary. By now, they are out in the estuaries adjusting to the salt water. In 3-5 years and luckiest of them will return to spawn.
April 18, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Happy Fry-Day! 208 of these little chum salmon fry were released last week by students from Minter Creek Elementary. By now, they are out in the estuaries adjusting to the salt water. In 3-5 years and luckiest of them will return to spawn.
It’s a good thing geese are waterproof! Today’s weather really was all over the place.
April 9, 2025 at 12:01 AM
It’s a good thing geese are waterproof! Today’s weather really was all over the place.
On Wednesdays we wear PINK! Spiny Pink Star, Pisaster brevispinus
April 3, 2025 at 11:36 PM
On Wednesdays we wear PINK! Spiny Pink Star, Pisaster brevispinus
Enjoying strolling along the water during these lovely spring days? Come visit our downtown Marine Life Center! Aquariums, touch tanks, microscopes, bones, and more🦀 FREE admission, open Wednesday through Sunday, 11-6!
March 30, 2025 at 12:45 AM
Enjoying strolling along the water during these lovely spring days? Come visit our downtown Marine Life Center! Aquariums, touch tanks, microscopes, bones, and more🦀 FREE admission, open Wednesday through Sunday, 11-6!
Northern Kelp crabs like this little guy can grow to be 3-4 inches across their carapace, or their shell. This little one is only a few centimeters right now!
March 28, 2025 at 10:57 PM
Northern Kelp crabs like this little guy can grow to be 3-4 inches across their carapace, or their shell. This little one is only a few centimeters right now!
Crab molts and catkins, must be spring. What signs of spring are you noticing today? #springequinox #salishsea #pugetsound #firstdayofspring #spring #seasons #pnw #alder #crabmolt #strandline
March 20, 2025 at 10:18 PM
Crab molts and catkins, must be spring. What signs of spring are you noticing today? #springequinox #salishsea #pugetsound #firstdayofspring #spring #seasons #pnw #alder #crabmolt #strandline
Join us at our Pier Into the Night event at 7 Seas Brewing, Wednesday 19th, 7pm!🦀
This is the last Pier Into the Night that we will host for the season due to late sunsets, but don’t worry, we will pick back up in the fall!
“Sea” you there!
#salishsea #harborwildwatch #pierintothenight
This is the last Pier Into the Night that we will host for the season due to late sunsets, but don’t worry, we will pick back up in the fall!
“Sea” you there!
#salishsea #harborwildwatch #pierintothenight
March 18, 2025 at 11:46 PM
Join us at our Pier Into the Night event at 7 Seas Brewing, Wednesday 19th, 7pm!🦀
This is the last Pier Into the Night that we will host for the season due to late sunsets, but don’t worry, we will pick back up in the fall!
“Sea” you there!
#salishsea #harborwildwatch #pierintothenight
This is the last Pier Into the Night that we will host for the season due to late sunsets, but don’t worry, we will pick back up in the fall!
“Sea” you there!
#salishsea #harborwildwatch #pierintothenight
March 17, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Don’t forget, our Cocktails and Fishtales event is TONIGHT, March 12th, from 5:30-7:30 at Ocean5!
This event is free for members and volunteers, and a suggested donations of $20 for non-members. No RSVP is required!
This event is free for members and volunteers, and a suggested donations of $20 for non-members. No RSVP is required!
March 12, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Don’t forget, our Cocktails and Fishtales event is TONIGHT, March 12th, from 5:30-7:30 at Ocean5!
This event is free for members and volunteers, and a suggested donations of $20 for non-members. No RSVP is required!
This event is free for members and volunteers, and a suggested donations of $20 for non-members. No RSVP is required!