@Monkeyhead said:
Oh, and also, regarding places like Oakland Bay, is the tidal flushing in Puget sound so great that the water everywhere, all year long is bone-crushingly cold, or does enough water stay in place that those kind of places have a chance to warm up a bit in the summer relative to somewhere that’s on the main body of the sound.
Also curious about pollution. Seems like a lot of industry along parts of the shore and not sure what the big metropolis of Seattle dumps into the sound. Is Puget sound in general, and Oakland Bay in particular reasonably clean. Like, are there any fish advisories for pregnant women, or even average Joe’s who just like to fish and eat a lot? What are the most significant pollution/ecology issues you have? I’m from the Chesapeake Bay area originally and loss of habitat, especially eelgrass beds due to fertilizer runoff was a big issue.
Part of the Hood Canal is known for a relatively temperature-stable block of water near Dabob Bay. Someone wrote a book describing how this phenomenon was noticed a few decades ago. It still isn’t warm, though. And the reason for the smaller temp swings is because the water is–while not exactly stagnant–somewhat immobile compared with other areas along the Olympic Peninsula.
At Point Whitney in late summer, temps in the shallow water near shore supposedly sometimes rise to the mid-60s. Contrast that to the East Coast, where even in New England, the ocean near shore often warms up to the high 60s.
Some areas are trying to preserve eelgrass beds via restrictions on “big boats.” Port Townsend has such areas near the town waterfront and extending to Fort Worden State Park. You can still paddle in those areas, of course.
In summer there are times when eating some shellfish is risky. Those times are publicized in local newspapers. They don’t necessarily result from pollution, though.
What temperature is it that you consider warm? What is warm to someone from the mid-Atlantic isn’t going to be the same as warm to a longtime western Washington resident. In general, the sea temperature just doesn’t vary tremendously even comparing late summer to late winter.
Oh, and I would not say there is “plenty” of sunshine in Shelton. The rain shadow does not include that area.