The lowest tide in May happens during Monday's lunch hour

Slap on some rubber boots and head down to the beach - one of the season's lowest tides arrives Monday around noon.

Take a lunch break if you have to. Low tide will reach -4.04 feet at 12:37 p.m., according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. That's the lowest tide we'll see all month.

These are great conditions to get a closer look at crabs, moon snails (the slimy guys who make those sandy, rubber-esque rings on the beach), barnacles, sea birds and more, according to the Seattle Aquarium.

Tides -3 feet and lower are also best for harvesting geoducks, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

You can explore the intertidal environment alone, or you can link up with a local expert from the Seattle Aquarium's beach naturalist program stationed at several beaches around Seattle.

These volunteers can teach you about the marine environment: what sea stars eat, why barnacles stand on their heads and how moon snails make those rings (spoiler: it's an egg collar), the aquarium said. They can also coach you on exploring the shoreline safely for both the animals and yourself.

Between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday, you'll find beach naturalists at Olympic Sculpture Park's pocket beach, Lincoln Beach and Richmond Beach.

The next lowest tide of the month comes Tuesday when the tides reach -3.73 feet. And if you can't make that one either or you're just itching to explore low low tides again, mark your calendar for June 14 (-3.9 feet), June 15 and 16 (-4.3 feet) and July 14 (-3.9 feet). Those will be the next four lowest tides of the summer.

Beach combers can also find more detailed information about 50 sea critters you might encounter while tide pooling in the Seattle Aquarium's Puget Sound beach field guide.

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