Photo: Beach Sand Details Pacific Coast Scenery

Patterns in the wet sand create unique sand details along the Pacific Coast in Tonquin Beach. This beach which is surrounded by beautiful ocean scenery is located in Tofino, on the West Coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia.

These patterns and details are left in the sand after the sea pulls away along Tonquin Beach in Tofino on the West Coast of Vancouver Island. This area of majestic scenery is a transition area of the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and so is used as part of sustainable development program with the First Nations people in the area.

These patterns in the wet sand are made by the movement of the waves that wash continuously over the Pacific coast as the tide flows in and out. They can be a clue to the direction that the tide is moving and if the tide is going out or coming back in. In many cases when archaeologists are studying ancient sites or looking at the development in coastal areas, they will look at fossilized pieces of wood or stone that have been continuously washed by the movement of the sea, and that gives them a clue back in time. They are able to place a time-line on the piece or area they are looking at based on the designs left by the ocean; it's a fascinating way of dating the earth.

These patterns have been left by the ocean itself, but people taking a stroll along the beach can also leave their own patterns or footprints and then watch them get washed and wiped clean by the constantly moving ocean. Sometimes there is nothing better than squishing your toes in to the sand and feeling the sea wash over your feet and gradually sinking down as the vast ocean moves in front of you. It can be a very calming, humbling feeling.

Patterns in the wet sand along Tonquin Beach, Town of Tofino, a transition area of the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, West Coast, Pacific Ocean, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.