I am lucky enough to live on an island surrounded by water that is also full of Islands and all of my life my favorite thing to do is to wander around at low tide in a tide pool.
Yesterday I did just that all by myself. My wife and I went out in our boat to relax and get away from a hectic week and while she read a book in the boat, I took the dinghy to shore to be alone with my friends.
Most of those friends have shells, antenna, fins or feathers.
As I rowed to shore daydreaming I was distracted by the oars hitting the sand and mud of the bay bottom.
I put on the insect repellent (because bugs are not my friends) and I started walking in the tide pool which is about 100 yards across and is composed of mud areas, sand areas, weedy areas and shallow water.
I Pulled the inflatable dingy up on a sandy area and walked through the stream of seawater that feeds the pool.
The first thing I came across was blue claw crabs mating. They were huge and did not appreciate me disturbing them. There were many of them all with the same idea of chasing me away. I don't blame them but they should have gotten a room.
When ever I come across a piece of wood or discarded part of a boat or pier I lift it to see what is living below.
If the object is stuck to the bottom I know there will be nothing living there because of the lack of oxygen it will just be black mud full of stinking hydrogen sulfide. Most heavy objects sink in the mud and that is what happens, but if the object is not too flat and not stuck in the bottom I know it will be just full of life. When you lift an object like that there are dozens of crabs running away, mostly Japanese Shore crabs that took over the native green crabs that are now completely gone. After the mud clears you find huge worms and sometimes clams.
Large amphipods will be jumping from the lifted objent to my arm and everywhere else.
Occasionally you see an eel or two dart out.
I always replace the object before I move on. The next area is just filled with oysters and you really can't walk without shoes. The pool shrinks down to about 20 feet across and goes under a road. In that 50' long tunnel with a barnacle covered cement floor you find more blue claw crabs that can't get away or dig in. They just threaten you with their claws as they scamper left and right. The tunnel ends at the other side of the road and becomes fresh water as that is a spill basin for a large lake that emptys here into the sea.
Sometimes you see freshwater turtles resting in the cement spillway that is about 5' high.
Walking back under the road you notice mussels stuck all over the walls covered in barnacles as everything in the Sound is.
I return back to my dinghy on the opposite side of the pool. This side has very low sand dunes that stay wet and are covered in marsh grass. The place is full of 1/2" to 1" wide holes in the sand that are homes to fiddler crabs. If you look ahead about 15' you see the males out of their holes holding up their large claw signaling to the females. I walk through a small salt water stream that leads to a marshy area. Here is where I call horseshoe crab city. The place is just full of tiny newborn horseshoe crabs some just barely visable.
They spend their time plowing through the fine mud which is perfect for them as the tiny crabs can't yet push the relatively heavier sand.
You can't venture too far into horseshoe crab city because a few steps in and you will sink up to your knees in a sticky ooze that will steal your shoes.
Walking back I look up and there is the resident Osprey in a high man made nest. That is a sea eagle that "guards" the place and is awe inspiring to see catch a large fish and carry it back to feed his chicks.
I get to my inflatable and walk out into deeper water all the while starring through the shallow water to see if I missed anything. I did. I count about a dozen hermit crabs and they make me smile because they disappeared from this area years ago and I have not seen any in a long time. They are always running and remind me of when I took the Subway to Manhattan for so many years. I pick up a few just to say hello then put them back. In a few seconds, they turn over and start running again. Then must stay in great shape with all that running.
I row back to the boat to find my wife smiling at me because she knows I am at my happiest after I spend my time with such good friends
Yesterday I did just that all by myself. My wife and I went out in our boat to relax and get away from a hectic week and while she read a book in the boat, I took the dinghy to shore to be alone with my friends.
Most of those friends have shells, antenna, fins or feathers.
As I rowed to shore daydreaming I was distracted by the oars hitting the sand and mud of the bay bottom.
I put on the insect repellent (because bugs are not my friends) and I started walking in the tide pool which is about 100 yards across and is composed of mud areas, sand areas, weedy areas and shallow water.
I Pulled the inflatable dingy up on a sandy area and walked through the stream of seawater that feeds the pool.
The first thing I came across was blue claw crabs mating. They were huge and did not appreciate me disturbing them. There were many of them all with the same idea of chasing me away. I don't blame them but they should have gotten a room.
When ever I come across a piece of wood or discarded part of a boat or pier I lift it to see what is living below.
If the object is stuck to the bottom I know there will be nothing living there because of the lack of oxygen it will just be black mud full of stinking hydrogen sulfide. Most heavy objects sink in the mud and that is what happens, but if the object is not too flat and not stuck in the bottom I know it will be just full of life. When you lift an object like that there are dozens of crabs running away, mostly Japanese Shore crabs that took over the native green crabs that are now completely gone. After the mud clears you find huge worms and sometimes clams.
Large amphipods will be jumping from the lifted objent to my arm and everywhere else.
Occasionally you see an eel or two dart out.
I always replace the object before I move on. The next area is just filled with oysters and you really can't walk without shoes. The pool shrinks down to about 20 feet across and goes under a road. In that 50' long tunnel with a barnacle covered cement floor you find more blue claw crabs that can't get away or dig in. They just threaten you with their claws as they scamper left and right. The tunnel ends at the other side of the road and becomes fresh water as that is a spill basin for a large lake that emptys here into the sea.
Sometimes you see freshwater turtles resting in the cement spillway that is about 5' high.
Walking back under the road you notice mussels stuck all over the walls covered in barnacles as everything in the Sound is.
I return back to my dinghy on the opposite side of the pool. This side has very low sand dunes that stay wet and are covered in marsh grass. The place is full of 1/2" to 1" wide holes in the sand that are homes to fiddler crabs. If you look ahead about 15' you see the males out of their holes holding up their large claw signaling to the females. I walk through a small salt water stream that leads to a marshy area. Here is where I call horseshoe crab city. The place is just full of tiny newborn horseshoe crabs some just barely visable.
They spend their time plowing through the fine mud which is perfect for them as the tiny crabs can't yet push the relatively heavier sand.
You can't venture too far into horseshoe crab city because a few steps in and you will sink up to your knees in a sticky ooze that will steal your shoes.
Walking back I look up and there is the resident Osprey in a high man made nest. That is a sea eagle that "guards" the place and is awe inspiring to see catch a large fish and carry it back to feed his chicks.
I get to my inflatable and walk out into deeper water all the while starring through the shallow water to see if I missed anything. I did. I count about a dozen hermit crabs and they make me smile because they disappeared from this area years ago and I have not seen any in a long time. They are always running and remind me of when I took the Subway to Manhattan for so many years. I pick up a few just to say hello then put them back. In a few seconds, they turn over and start running again. Then must stay in great shape with all that running.
I row back to the boat to find my wife smiling at me because she knows I am at my happiest after I spend my time with such good friends
