7/21 Fort Worden Marine Science Center

I went out for a bike ride today to take more photos of the state park and visit the Marine Science Center, which was closed yesterday afternoon when i got there.  I was really lucky to get there as they were starting to feed the animals, so after I post some photos, there is a video I took.  

No, Rob, it is not that kind of "Go Blue." 

The science center is at the end of a fishing pier. 

I was not expecting much because the building was so small, but it consisted almost entirely of touch pools with various sea animals in each.  

This is a sea cucumber.  Yuck. 

They had several multi-armed sea stars, like the one on the right wall and the one in the front foreground, and lots of large anemones.

The spindly things with dark tops I was told were sea worms of some sort. 

There was a ranger and two volunteers feeding animals.  This man was feeding pieces of kelp to the urchins.  He gave the kids an opportunity to feed them as well. 

The sea stars got small clams.  

This boy is helping the ranger feed pieces of fish to sea anemones.  As long as you put the fish chunk near the arms, the anemone would grab it and move it to its mouth in the middle. 

Just barely visible are some Dover sole, which are types of flounder and have both eyes on one side of their heads.  As babies, they start out with their eyes on each side, but as they get older one eye moves over so the fish can use both eyes while it lies on its side just under the sand.  They liked the fish chunks, but the bigger ones managed to get most of the food.  

 Here is a YouTube video of the feeding and the animals grabbing their food.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ed8y2aJKMYI

Nearby, is also a gift shop and orca (killer whale) exhibit.   

And a classroom with more exhibits in the back. 

Anyway, if you are ever in this area, with or without kids, it is worthwhile to come here, especially if you can make it on a Saturday at 2:00 pm!