7/27 Cockle, Bay Day, Wyden bill, marine reserves, humpback action, watch merlins

Heart cockle [Nancy Olson]

Heart Cockle Clinocardium nuttallii
Imagine a shellfish able to jump away from danger. The Heart Cockle is a soft-bodied animal that lives between two hard shells connected by a hinge. Sensing a predatory sea star nearby, the cockle sticks a muscular foot from between its shells and gives a sudden push, vaulting up and out of harm's way. Looked at edge-on, the cockle’s shells form a heart-shape, so it’s called the "heart" cockle. It’s one of many kinds of bivalves living in Puget Sound. Cockles feed by drawing water in one tube, or siphon, filtering out tiny edible creatures, and then expelling the water through another tube. Because these siphons are short, cockles lie just beneath the sandy surface or even on top, visible in shallow water. (Friends of Skagit Beaches)

Fidalgo Bay Day
Enjoy a free, fun, family outing at the 14th annual Fidalgo Bay Day on Saturday, August 12 from 11 AM – 3 PM, at the Samish Indian Nation’s Fidalgo Bay Resort, located at 4701 Fidalgo Bay Road in Anacortes.  Celebrate National Estuaries Day and the beauty, history, and wonderful marine life with the Friends of Skagit Beaches Trail Tales docent stations along the Tommy Thompson Trail. Take part in our popular beach seining demonstration, touch live marine critters in Shannon Point Marine Center’s undersea zoo, get creative at the kid friendly craft tables, play fun games, and learn about local projects and volunteer opportunities at the many educational exhibits staffed by local agencies and organizations.

Wyden Bill Encourages Outdoor Recreation On Public Lands
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden introduced a bill Wednesday that aims to simplify the permitting process for outdoor recreation on public lands. The Oregon Democrat says getting outdoors often requires obtaining permits, parking passes and camping fees that can be confusing, complicated and time-consuming. He wants to cut the red tape around access to public lands to encourage outdoor recreation, giving an economic boost to surrounding communities. The Recreation Not Red Tape Act, co-sponsored with U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, requires the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management to review their permitting processes with an eye toward minimizing costs and processing times, and create educational materials to help people applying for permits. Cassandra Profita reports. (OPB/EarthFix)

Emergency Meeting Held To Oppose Trump Weakening Marine Monuments
The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council held an unprecedented emergency meeting Monday to approve a letter urging the Trump Administration to maintain 11 marine reserves that are under federal review, including Papahanaumokuakea in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. President Donald Trump issued an executive order April 28 implementing his America-First Offshore Energy Strategy, which is exploring opening up protected ocean areas to wind farms and mining for oil, natural gas and methane hydrates. The advisory council’s letter to U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross was one of hundreds that came in just ahead of Wednesday’s deadline for public comments. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration opened the comment period June 26. Nathan Eagle reports. (Civil Beat)

Incredible video shows humpback whale ‘mugging' boat in northwest waters
An incredible encounter between a northwest boater and a humpback whale in the Strait of Juan de Fuca is getting thousands of views on social media. The boater, who asked to not be named, shared her video with KIRO 7 News after a whale swam under her boat on Tuesday. (KIRO)

If you like to watch: Barb Deihl, the Merlin friend, suggests, for those of you who missed some of this kind of action this season around Puget Sound (or even if you didn't miss it), the following short videos:

Falcon Attack/Nestcam-Part 1       

Chicks in the Nest-Part 2   

Falcons Leaving the Nest-Part 3    

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  245 AM PDT Thu Jul 27 2017  
TODAY  W wind to 10 kt becoming NW 10 to 20 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 1 ft or less building to 1 to 3 ft in the  afternoon. W swell 4 ft at 8 seconds.
TONIGHT  W wind 10 to 20 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 4 ft at 8 seconds.

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