What's on the Beach?

Published on August 23, 2022

fish larvae in a cup

Have you seen these washed up at Juanita or Waverly Beach Park? Don’t worry – they’re fish.  

We checked with our water quality and ecology friends at King County and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife about them. King County collected some of these translucent little guys and identified them as fish larvae. They appear to be longfin smelt, which are a native to our area. It’s also not uncommon to see dead fish in a lake as most baby fish don’t survive all the way to adulthood. So, seeing these peculiar-looking creatures on shore is not of concern – they are just regular ole’ fish larvae, which can be carried by wind and current onto shore, where you may have seen them and wondered what the heck they could be.  

It’s also possible that our recent hot weather contributed to a slight bump in these fish larvae sightings at Juanita Beach, Waverly, and Yarrow Bay. 

Now you know!