How low can it go? Extreme low tides in the bay

Dog walkers, birders and avid fishermen alike have been stumped by the recent low tides along the Peconic Bay shoreline as winds whipped through Long Island’s East End.

According to United States Geological Survey station on Shelter Island, water levels were roughly 1.33 feet lower than the most recent lowest tide on Jan. 28.

Typically, the lowest and highest tides are observed around the full Moon and new Moon phases when the moon, Sun and Earth are all in alignment. The most recent full moon was on Feb. 12.

“We’re actually in a cycle right now, about a week away, where it would almost be called a ‘neap tide,’ where it’s usually kind of a mid-range high and a mid-range low,” Peconic Baykeeper Executive Director Pete Topping said.

Recent sustained north and northwest 25-mph winds with 40-mph gusts over the past few days have pushed the water out of the bay and offshore, Mr. Topping explained. The dramatic change in water levels was noticeable as early as Saturday morning.

“Conversely, when you get a Nor’Easter, especially in the Peconics with the Forks, it kind of acts like a funnel — if you imagine the point of the funnel being Flanders or Riverhead,” Mr. Topping said. “So if you’re closer to a high tide, and especially if you have a full or new moon, that water pushes into the bay and piles up. And that’s when we see more of our extreme coastal flooding.”

The dramatic low tides aren’t here to stay though, Mr. Topping believes, as water levels should bounce back to the status quo once winds taper off.

“It’s a natural phenomenon, and we usually see these more extreme events in the winter time or in the offseason,” Mr. Topping noted.

Seagulls and other predators can be found perusing the beach for exposed shellfish snacks, thanks to the abnormal low tides. Mr. Topping said he doesn’t expect any dramatic consequences for shellfish following the period of low tides.