When a creek floods, why don’t creatures like turtles get washed out to sea?
A tidal creek normally floods because the water arrives from upstream at a faster rate than it can drain away into the sea. As the water level rises, the drainage rate will inevitably increase to some degree, but it must always be less than the upstream flow – or the creek wouldn’t flood. Animals and fish that live in tidal environments have already become used to widely changing salinity levels and strong currents. They will either retreat into burrows and nests or at least keep close to the banks where the current isn’t so strong. Some may be washed beyond the river mouth, but they are usually able to return on the incoming tide.
