February, 2026
When someone goes to see the Pacific Ocean that’s on the western edge of the USA, or the western edge of Canada (Vancouver Island and north), or western Mexico, or the west edge of Peru, or so many other countries in north and central and south america … when people go to the Pacific Ocean hereabouts, we often go just to walk on the beach, explore the beach, seek out treasures we might find on the beach, treasures that are sometimes washed up from the ocean currents that have come from countries on the far WEST side of the Pacific Ocean … Japan, the Philippines, Australia, and so many others. The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean on our planet.
I was raised in the Philippines. When I’m on an ocean coast beach here in western USA, it feels to me like I can look out across the ocean and see the Philippines. Right over there, yes, it’s right over there! My childhood home. Of course, the Philippine Islands are almost 7,000 miles away from the west coast of Washington State, and I can’t see around the curve of the earth, but it’s fun to think about.
But I do look down at the sand around me on this beach, and look for things that might have come across the ocean from other shores, other people. Even if I find nothing that seems to have come from afar, still I have found a wonderful place to enjoy … the water, an ocean, sand, and a beach that connects everyone on this planet with each other.
Let me show you some parts of the beach here at Pacific Beach State Park in the state of Washington.
Let’s start with the beach that’s near the rocky shore. Only very high tides bring ocean water this far up the beach, but in the photo below you can see that there was a very high tide just the week before I went camping here … the sand is still wet with that water.
Who knows where this debris originated … what country … around the world.
Next, let’s walk away from that rocky shore and take a look at the sandy beach here that’s in between the rocky shore and the ocean itself. There’s very little debris out here because the ocean waves wash it clean.
But the water that runs back down towards the ocean and away from the rocky beach, that water creates interesting patterns in the sand.
As you get closer to the ocean itself, things change …
This bit of ocean “stuff” below looked very interesting!
Then there’s the beach right out there … right by the ocean waves (and right next to all the seagulls!). You can see the dark markings from recent high tides, high water marks, over the past day or two.
I don’t know what creates these sort of bubbly areas of sand.
And then, there is the Pacific Ocean, and the beach right next to it as the waves come ashore.
The pounding surf, the seagulls fishing for food.
Here’s a short video I took, starting while looking at the ocean waves and the seagulls, then panning across the beach and ending almost up at the rocky shoreline. You can watch the video here by clicking on the red box, or you can watch it on YouTube by clicking on the link in the bottom right corner. Turn your sound on to hear the wind.
I never get tired of the ocean, whether it’s the beach or the sky or the birds or the ocean itself. It’s amazing isn’t it? Thanks for joining me on the journey. And thanks for your comments! 🙂 You readers are the best.