Harbor WildWatch

06/26/2026

The June, strawberry full moon makes for a great set of low tides 🍓🌕🎉 Join Harbor WildWatch for an educational adventure through the neighborhoods of the intertidal zone. Participants will learn good beach etiquette as we examine the sea life that calls the Salish Sea home. Closed toed shoes you don’t mind getting wet are recommended for these approximately 60-90 minute tours. More information about the logistics of each location can be found on the Harbor WildWatch website. SEA you at the beach!

06/26/2026

Molt Blitz is the biggest Molt Search survey day of the YEAR! If you’d like support putting your Molt Search Training to the test, join Harbor WildWatch on June 26th, 12pm at the Mouth of Gig Harbor Old Ferry Landing. This is a great opportunity to do a survey with a biologist who is ready to answer all of your Molt Search and Crab ID questions.

Harbor WildWatch invites the public to assist in WSU Extension and Washington Sea Grant’s “Molt Search” program, a participatory science initiative to combat the growing concerns about the invasive European green crab. The European green crab is considered to be one of the world’s worst invasive species and it threatens the overall health of Washington’s marine waters. Only a small fraction of the suitable nearshore habitat for this animal can be monitored by Washington Sea Grant’s Crab Team and the WDFW-led coalition of tribal co-managers and partners.

The Molt Search program enables the public to help protect local marine waters by monitoring shorelines throughout the Salish Sea by teaching volunteers simple, standardized steps for searching and reporting on the presence and absence of European green crab molts (the empty shell that gets left behind as a crab grows larger). Molts can serve as an early indicator of the presence of European green crab in a new area and the more eyes on the beach, the better. In addition to better understanding European green crabs, this training also is an opportunity to fill in data gaps about the iconic Dungeness crab. YOU can be part of the early detection team, let’s Molt search!

06/24/2026

What started as a bag of bones, is now a fully articulated harbor seal skeleton! Come see it for yourself at the Marine Life Center open 11-6pm Wednesday through Sunday in the heart of downtown Gig Harbor.

06/19/2026

Happy Juneteenth! The Harbor WildWatch Marine Life Center will be closing early at 4:00pm today. BUT, you should join us on the beach because Washington State Park has FREE parking for the holiday. No discover pass needed! Join us at 2:00pm at Dash Point State Park and at 3:00pm at Joemma State Park.

06/18/2026

UPDATE: the medallion has been found!

Have you stopped by our Marine Life Center recently?

We’re participating in the Pierce County wide Art of the Game, a medallion scavenger hunt! Come by and see if you can find the handcrafted glass medallion hidden somewhere in our Marine Life Center. 👀

06/17/2026

We would like to invite our lovely volunteers and Steward Club Members to our new Tide and True Trivia Night! Come show off your beach-going knowledge and compete for delightful prizes at 7Seas Brewing in Gig Harbor, June 24th at 5:30pm! Enjoy getting to meet the other volunteers and members that make Harbor WildWatch the awesome ocean organization that it is. We are encouraging folks to form teams for this event, so please bring friends and family so they can experience the Harbor WildWatch motto of “Learn. Have Fun!”

Teams will compete for the coveted prize basket. May the best team win!

06/17/2026

Spend the summer on the beach with Harbor WildWatch! It was a beautiful sunny day on the beach for beach monitoring ☀️

You can join us on the beach for beach monitoring through Thursday, and then join us for Low Tide Tours through August!

We hope to “sea” you there!

06/13/2026

Check out our monthly newsletter: Swim for the Salish Sea, Water Quality Updates, Beach Monitoring, Upcoming Events & More!
https://conta.cc/4uuxRST

Email from Harbor WildWatch Swim for the Salish Sea, Water Quality Updates, Beach Monitoring, Upcoming Events & More!     Harbor WildWatch Happenings June 2026 Photo: Our inaugural crew of 2026 summer

06/06/2026

The Marine Life Center will be OPEN today for the Maritime Gig Festival from 12-6pm! 🦀

Be sure to pop in and check out some of new exhibits! But while you’re walking around enjoying the festival, see if you can find all four of our Stormwater Artwork pieces.

Located throughout downtown, these four artwork pieces highlight the importance of keep our stormwater as clean as possible! Enjoy these art pieces, and learn more about the artists by scanning the QR code.

06/05/2026

Happy World Seaweed Day!!!