SEATTLE — Earth is nicknamed the blue planet for good reason. Nearly three-quarters of the planet’s surface is covered in water, the very stuff our bodies need to survive.
Being around bodies of water, or “blue spaces,” can have positive effects on our well-being, wrote Catherine Kelly, a senior lecturer at England's University of Brighton’s Centre for Environment and Society who used the term in her book “Blue Spaces: How and Why Water Can Make You Feel Better.”
Bordered by Puget Sound to the west and Lake Washington to the east, with Lake Union, Green Lake and the Duwamish River in between, Seattleites are bound to find “blue spaces” — and the benefits that come with them — wherever you go. Here’s why being around blue spaces may make you feel better — and a few recommendations on ways to interact with them and places to visit.
If you’re heading out to enjoy our abundant blue spaces, check air quality conditions — find the latest about Washington’s wildfire season at st.news/wildfire-tracker. And if you’re going into or onto the water, officials recommend implementing safety measures, like wearing a life jacket. For more tips on staying safe in chilly Pacific Northwest waters, visit st.news/staysafe.
A remedy for the blues
For Cori Myka, a swim instructor who lives in South Seattle, going for open water swims at Seward Park with a local swimming group has become a bit of a ritual over the past few years. While swimming at an indoor pool is often crowded and noisy, swimming among natural scenery — the open air, the trees, the clouds — keeps her in touch with her senses. “It's intuitive for us to connect with our five senses when we’re in a natural space, which calms the body and the mind,” she said.
There’s a name for such a feeling. Blue mind is “a mildly meditative state characterized by calm, peacefulness, unity and a sense of general happiness and satisfaction with life in the moment,” according to Wallace J. Nichols, a marine biologist and senior fellow at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, in his 2014 book “Blue Mind.”
Interacting with nature, or “nature contact,” can positively impact our well-being in a variety of ways, according to Gregory Bratman, an associate professor at the University of Washington School of Environmental and Forest Sciences. Bratman is also co-director of the UW Nature and Health Research Collaborative, a program with nearly 400 researchers, healthcare providers, policymakers and community organizers working to understand the reciprocal relationship between nature and human well-being.
In a recently published article in Trends in Cognitive Sciences that Bratman co-authored, he explained that nature contact is linked to benefits such as better emotional regulation, immunity, gut health, sleep and physical activity.
Bratman has also been involved in studies that focus on the relationships between blue spaces and human well-being, using data that has sometimes spanned many countries. “Living near the coast, or visiting blue spaces such as rivers, lakes, and beaches can be associated with higher levels of self-reported health and different dimensions of well-being,” Bratman said in an email. “The candidate mechanisms through which these outcomes occur are less fully understood, but could include stress reduction and restoration of cognitive fatigue, as well as increased feelings of autonomy, competence, and connection with the natural world.”
Getting out on the water
There are countless ways to engage with Seattle’s blue spaces, from swimming and paddleboarding to kayaking and riding a Jet Ski. Cold-plunging groups like Coldwater Collective host winter meetups at Alki Beach, where participants wade into 50-degree water. Some studies link cold-plunging to reduced muscle soreness and improved digestion (and some participants have reported that it improves mood and focus).
Other groups, like WASUP Yoga in Shilshole Bay, combine recreational water activities like paddleboarding with yoga for a unique on-the-water wellness practice.
Myka encourages others to let themselves enjoy water at whatever skill level they feel most comfortable — and more important, to not compare themselves to others.
“That’s where these spaces don’t help people’s mental health — when they go there and think ‘I can only have fun if I could do what somebody else is doing,’ ” Myka said. “They should just really allow themselves to fill up in the joy they can partake in right now, and then be curious about what might be next for them.”
Blue spaces in every shade
You don’t need to be in the water to tap into blue mind — even just looking at the water can be beneficial. One way Seattleites celebrated World Mental Health Day last October was through a Scream Club at Lincoln Park in West Seattle, where participants scream by bodies of water to release stress.
“We’re lucky enough here in Seattle to have incredible bodies of water,” organizer Amber Walcker told The Seattle Times in September. “Where, when you look out, there’s islands, but they’re so far away that you feel like even if you screamed as loud as you possibly could, you probably wouldn’t quite reach them.”
Providing access to blue spaces even plays into the largest of urban projects, like the $806 million renovation of downtown Seattle’s Waterfront Park. At the beginning of the yearslong renovation process, community members expressed concern to officials about losing access to views of Elliott Bay while driving along the old viaduct, according to Jessica Murphy, construction program manager for the office of the waterfront.
“How was our new waterfront going to accomplish that?” Murphy said. “Overlook Walk was really the place where we did that. You’re elevated, you’re above it all and you see these expansive views of the water and the mountains.”
Since opening in 2024, Overlook Walk, reaching over Alaskan Way to connect Pike Place Market with the waterfront, has become a community hub for Seattleites. Just this summer, the Salish Steps served as unofficial seats for thousands of FIFA World Cup fans as they crowded around a large screen on Pier 62.
Interaction with the water can be found all across the park, Murphy said, from actually being able to touch the water at Habitat Beach to the annual Salmon Homecoming, where traditional Salish canoe journeys celebrate the return of local salmon.
“This whole thing is about reclaiming our relationship with the water at our urban core,” Murphy said. “Who doesn't feel better when they're looking out over Elliott Bay on a nice sunny day, or even a kind of cloudy, moody day? There's something restorative about it.”
The best Seattle blue spaces
Many Seattle-area spots already have a reputation for beach access and stunning views of the water, including the downtown waterfront, Golden Gardens, Discovery Park, Magnuson Park, Seward Park, Alki Beach and of course, any of the Washington State Ferries routes. Here are a few perhaps lesser-known blue spaces to consider visiting.
— Duwamish Waterway Park (7900 10th Ave. S., Seattle): Situated on the banks of the Duwamish River in South Park, it offers a large lawn space to take in the views. A 2022 renovation led to a new play area, accessible pathways, interpretive art and plenty of large, shady trees.
— Lowman Beach Park (7017 Beach Drive S.W., Seattle): This secluded West Seattle beach makes for fewer crowds, but you still get spectacular views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains. Great for launching paddleboards and kayaks, plus there is a small playground for kids.
— Myrtle Edwards Park (3130 Alaskan Way, Seattle): Located north of the main downtown Seattle waterfront, this strip of land offers the perfect spot for an afternoon reading session, outdoor picnic or scenic bike ride on the nearby Elliott Bay Trail. This park, along with nearby Centennial Park, recently reopened after a $56 million overhaul that included updated art, widened paths and a new Native-designed building with snacks and restrooms.
— Union Bay Natural Area (3501 N.E. 41st St., Seattle): Tucked away into the northeast end of the University of Washington campus, these wetlands serve as a public wildlife area (popular among avid birdwatchers) and natural restoration area with winding walking paths and 4 miles of shoreline.