King Tides at Cape Disappointment.
"King Tides" is a non-scientific term used to describe higher than average high tides. In Washington, these typically happen during the winter months of November, December and January for a three-day period. They are the result of the gravitational forces of the sun and moon basically playing "Tug-of-war". They typically occur during a full moon and can be further escalated by storms.
In my state of Washington, these typically occur in the winter months of November, December and January, and for a period of three days each.
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| King Tides at Cape Disappointment. |
This might be the most iconic place to photograph the tides in Washington despite it's remoteness, near the small town of Ilwaco. The park offers camping, hiking and access to wild beaches not typical of Washington's southern coast. It's about a 3 hour drive from the Seattle area, and is actually much closer Portland, OR!
Watching and photographing the tides is an incredible experience. Get there early for the full experience. Seeing the surf a few hours before high tide and witnessing it build to a crescendo is the exhilarating experience that one brings home with them and tells stories about!
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| King Tides at Cape Disappointment. |
Photographer Tips: While the tides are always exhilarating, the best images are captured when the water is backlit to bring out the greens. This doesn't happen under heavy clouds. Plan your trip when you suspect you will see some partial sun or at least diffused light.
Telephoto lenses work the best here. I enjoyed my 70-200mm lens the most. A stronger lens could capture the details of the waves up close.
Don't forget to give your camera a break and just enjoy the beauty and raw energy of the surf. Especially near the high tide when the water is churning every which way. It was during this incredible time that I heard an interesting "chirp" and noticed it wasn't a bird, but rather a sea otter swimming back and forth on its back "people watching"! How was he staying afloat?!!
For more images of the Washington coast, feel free to visit my Washington Coast Gallery.
As always, thanks for looking. Hope to see you at the coast?
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