If you are one of the millions of readers who made Shelby Van Pelt's debut novel "Remarkably Bright Creatures" a bestseller, or if you have seen the recent film adaptation, you may have caught a familiar reference. The story includes a nod to Bellingham, Washington, and fans of the book have been connecting the fictional setting to Teddy Bear Cove, a beloved low-tide destination tucked along Chuckanut Drive south of the city.
Teddy Bear Cove is accessible via a trail off Chuckanut Drive in the Chuckanut Mountain area, part of the Bellingham Parks and Recreation network of natural areas. At low tide, the cove opens into a broad rocky beach rich with sea stars, hermit crabs, anemones, and the occasional giant Pacific octopus. It is that last creature, an intelligent and often-misunderstood cephalopod, that sits at the heart of Van Pelt's story.
The novel follows Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living in an aquarium somewhere in the Pacific Northwest, who narrates observations about the humans around him. The book, released in 2022, spent weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and was praised for its warmth and its portrayal of the octopus's interior life. Its recent film adaptation has introduced a new wave of readers and viewers to the Pacific Northwest setting, including the Bellingham reference woven into both versions of the story.
For locals who have been visiting Teddy Bear Cove for years, the connection to a national bestseller is a quiet delight. The cove has long been one of those spots that Bellingham residents tend to guard jealously from overexposure, valuing its tranquility and the sense of discovery that comes with timing your visit to a low tide. The tide pools at Chuckanut offer some of the most accessible marine biodiversity in Whatcom County without requiring a boat or specialized gear.
Chuckanut Drive itself is one of the most scenic roads in Washington State, winding along the cliffs above Bellingham Bay between Bellingham and Burlington. The area is also home to Larrabee State Park, Washington's first state park, which includes additional beach access and tide pool habitat. Together, the corridor offers residents and visitors some of the finest intertidal exploration in the Salish Sea.
The giant Pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) is native to the Pacific Northwest coast and is one of the largest octopus species in the world. Adults can have arm spans exceeding 14 feet and are known for remarkable problem-solving abilities. Encounters between recreational divers and giant Pacific octopuses off the Bellingham area are not uncommon, and the animals have a long history in the cultural imagination of coastal communities throughout the region.
For those inspired to visit, low tide charts for Teddy Bear Cove and other Whatcom County beaches are available through the NOAA Tides and Currents portal. The trailhead off Chuckanut Drive is marked and free to access. Visitors are reminded to tread carefully in tide pools, stepping only on bare rock and never on living organisms. For another local nature and community feature, see the upcoming season at Picture Lake and Artist Point.
