Semi-ah-moo Spit

     Bivalves
Callithaca tenerrima  [2]
Clinocardium nuttallii  [1]
Cryptomya californica  [4]
Hiatella arctica  [4]
Leukoma staminea  [1]
Lucinoma annulata  [4]
Macoma balthica  [4]
Macoma inquinata  [2]
Macoma nasuta  [2]
Macoma secta  [2]
Mactromeris polynyma  [4]
Magallana gigas  [4]
Modiolus rectus  [3]
Mya arenaria  [2]
Mytilus complex  [2]
Nuttallia obscurata  [1]
Pododesmus macrochisma  [3]
Paphia restorationensis  [4]
Saxidomus gigantea  [1]
Solen sicarius  [4]
Tellina modesta  [4]
Tresus capax  [1]
Tresus nuttallii  [2]
Venerupis philippinarum  [1]

     Gastropods
Alia carinata  [1]
Alvania compacta  [4]
Batillaria attramentaria  [1]
            (only on Drayton Harbor side)

Kurtzia arteaga  [4]
Lacuna variegata  [3]
Lacuna vincta  [1]
Lirabuccinum dirum  [3]
Littorina scutulata  [1]
Littorina sitkana  [2]
Lottia pelta  [2]
Margarites pupillus  [4]
Nassarius fraterculus  [4]
Nassarius mendicus  [3]
Neverita lewisii  [4]
Nucella lamellosa  [2]
"Odostomia" tenuisculpta  [4]
Ophiodermella inermis  [4]
                





     Nudibranchs/Sea slugs

Dirona albolineata  [4]
Haminoea vesicula  [4]
Hermissenda crassicornis  [4]
Onchidoris bilamellata  [3]









     Chitons
Mopalia hindsii  [4]
Mopalia kennerleyi  [4]

Mopalia lignosa  [4]
Mopalia muscosa  [4]

Tonicella lineata  [4]

  
     



Point Whitehorn Park

     Bivalves
Clinocardium nuttallii  [4]
Entodesma navicula  [4]
Hiatella arctica  [4]

Leukoma staminea  [4]
Macoma balthica  [4]
Macoma inquinata  [4]
Macoma nasuta  [4]
Magallana gigas  [3]
Mytilus complex  [2]
Pododesmus macrochisma  [3]
Saxidomus gigantea  [4]
Tellina modesta  [4]
Tresus capax  [4]
Venerupis philippinarum  [4]












     Gastropods
Acmaea mitra  [4]
Alia carinata  [4]

Alvania compacta  [4]
Calliostoma ligatum  [4]
Calyptraea fastigiata  [4]

Lacuna vincta  [4]
Lirabuccinum dirum  [4]
Lirularia lirulata  [4]
Littorina scutulata  [1]

Littorina sitkana  [2]
Lottia digitalis  [3]
Lottia pelta  [1]

Lottia persona  [3]
Lottia scutum  [3]
Margarites pupillus  [4]
Melanella micans  [4]
Nucella lamellosa  [2]
Nucella ostrina  [3]
"Odostomia" tenuisculpta  [4]
Oenopota sp.  [4]
Paciocinebrina lurida  [4]
Turbonilla sp.  [4]
     
     Nudibranchs/Sea slugs

Acanthodoris nanaimoensis  [4]
Aeolidia sp.  [4]

Dirona albolineata  [4]
Doris montereyensis  [4]
Hermissenda crassicornis  [4]
Melibe leonina  [4]
Onchidella carpenteri  [4]
Onchidoris bilamellata  [3]





     Chitons
Cryptochiton stelleri  [4]
Cyanoplax dentiens  [4]
Dendrochiton flectens  [4]
Katharina tunicata  [4]
Lepidozona mertensii  [4]
Mopalia hindsii  [3]
Mopalia kennerleyi  [4]
Mopalia lignosa  [3]
Mopalia muscosa  [2]
Mopalia spectabilis  [4]
Mopalia swanii  [4]
Mopalia vespertina  [3]
Tonicella lineata  [2]
Tonicella cf. undocaerulea  [4]
  
     









Birch Bay/Point Whitehorn to Semi-ah-moo Spit 

Whatcom Co., WA

Site Description:       

Birch Bay State Park is on the south side of Birch Bay, which is off of the Strait of Georgia.  The beach here is an extensive tide flat consisting mostly of sand bars and eelgrass beds.  Tide pools dot the area at low tide.  The upper beach is cobble with some scattered areas of small boulders.  Cherry Point Aquatic Reserve is now adjacent to the State Park, extending from the State Park west to the Point, around the Point and south to the Cherry Point Refinery.  For our purposes we will designate our State Park location as encompassing all of the uniform sand bar and eel grass habitat up to the Point, although a large portion of this lies within the Aquatic Reserve.

At the Point (Whitehorn), the beach becomes far more rocky with many large boulders and minimal pockets of sand.  This habitat is fairly consistent from the Point, through Point Whitehorn Park and down to the boundary of the refinery.  We'll call this our Point Whitehorn Park habitat for the purposes of our list.

Semi-ah-moo Spit is just north of Birch Bay across a point of land.  The east side of the spit faces Drayton Harbor.  The beach here is soft mud with some cobble.  Few species inhabit this section.  The west side of the spit faces Semi-ah-moo Bay which opens to the Strait of Georgia.  Semi-ah-moo Bay is essentially the southern end of Boundary Bay in British Columbia.
The west side of the spit becomes an extensive sand flat at low tide.  There are a few small boulders at the south end of the spit.  The northernmost end starts to become muddy.  Tidepools dot the sand at low tide and there are a few patches of eelgrass.
 


Google Map

 
 
Birch Bay State Park - sand bar & eel grass habitat
Point Whitehorn
Point Whitehorn


Extensive sand flats along west side of Semi-ah-moo Spit

Rocky patch on south end of spit         


Species List:

     Following is a list of mollusk species observed at this location by members and associates of the club.  This is by no means a complete list of the species which may occur at this site.  Revisions and additions to the data are made as we acquire new information.   When a site contains more than one very distinctive type of habitat or if multiple sites were included in a single location, then a species list for each is included.
    We indicate frequency of occurrence based on our observations.  This is an indicator of how likely it is that you may be able to find this species yourself and is not a formal population survey.  

     Frequency Code:  (Based on the assumption that you are looking in the appropriate location where the species
                                          likes to live - on rocks, in sand, etc.  Some populations fluctuate seasonally.  Ours are based
                                          on the spring/summer seasons.)
     [4] - Rare - very difficult to find, maybe only a couple found after repeated visits to the site
     [3] - Uncommon - difficult to find, may not see on every trip but dedicated searching may turn up a few
     [2] - Common - easy to find, should locate a number of them on any given day
     [1] - Abundant - very easy to find, large numbers should be seen on every trip

Data is all intertidal unless noted.


Birch Bay State Park     

     Bivalves

Callithaca tenerrima  [2]
Clinocardium nuttallii  [1]
Leukoma staminea  [1]
Lucinoma annulata  [4]
Macoma balthica  [4]
Macoma inquinata  [2]
Macoma nasuta  [2]
Macoma secta  [2]
Mactromeris polynyma  [3]
Magallana gigas  [2]
Modiolus rectus  [3]
Mya arenaria  [3]
Mytilus complex  [1]
Nuttallia obscurata  [2]
Panopea generosa  [4] (siphons visible)
Pododesmus macrochisma  [3]
Paphia restorationensis  [4]
Saxidomus gigantea  [1]
Solen sicarius  [4]
Tellina modesta  [4]
Tresus capax  [1]
Tresus nuttallii  [2]
Venerupis philippinarum  [2]

 
     Gastropods
Alia carinata  [2]
Alvania compacta  [4]
Lacuna variegata  [3]
Lacuna vincta  [1]
Lirabuccinum dirum  [3]
Littorina scutulata  [1]
Littorina sitkana  [1]
Lottia digitalis  [4]
Lottia pelta  [1]
Lottia persona  [3]
Lottia scutum  [4]

Nassarius mendicus  [3]
Neverita lewisii  [3]
Nucella lamellosa  [1]
Nucella ostrina  [1]
Ophiodermella inermis  [4]








     Nudibranchs/Sea slugs
Aeolidia papillosa  [4]
Aglaja ocelligera  [4]
Dirona albolineata  [4]
Doris montereyensis  [4]
Haminoea vesicula  [3]

Hermissenda crassicornis  [4]
Melibe leonina  [3]
Onchidella carpenteri  [4]
Onchidoris bilamellata  [4]





     Chitons
Mopalia lignosa  [4]
Mopalia muscosa  [4]

 
     





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This page last revised: 7-1-2024