Low Tide Beach Scavenger Hunt for Seattle-Area Families

We all know barnacles as those hard, white bumps found all over beach rocks. Live barnacles have a round calcareous outer shell and internal plates that form a narrow slit. If you touch these plates gently, they’ll move as the creature inside closes them for protection.

Why they’re cool: This stationary animal, related to crabs and lobsters, may not seem exciting. However, when underwater, barnacles extend feather-like legs to catch plankton.

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