Tuesday, January 1, 2008

BARNACLES AND MUSSELS ALIVE ALIVE-O

Happy New Year….from the Jaws…..Since I generally head to the Breakers when the waves are big, it was unusual to find myself there when the water was glassy smooth. I had checked the tides and found that the low was due around 1:30 so was able to climb on the rocks below the jetty for a few hours, communing with the occupants of the tidal areas generally well below the water line. I’m not sure you could consider it tide pools. Rocks and pockets teeming with anemones, barnacles and mussels as well as some pretty little snails who were unfortunately still in their homes or the shells would have
been in my pocket. I love beachcombing but stop short of bringing home anything still alive. I REALLY wanted this pretty gold one that was just laying there, unattached but….alas, still occupied. I tried to get down to a really intriguing area at the head of the jetty...the water was down and rocks were exposed but getting to them was mighty slippery. There's a fine line between adventurous and foolish...often I step over that line for the sake of a picture but even I stop short of putting the Coasties to work on New Years Day.

3 comments:

Monica... That One Girl said...

I'm glad you decided against the idea of hurting yourself on New Year's Day and I looove those photos! I really like the second one where you can see the pores on the little creatures.
I've been missing my camera, lately. Not because it isn't sitting here next to me on the desk, but because I just haven't had a spare hour or two to go explore. I intended to catch the sunset off our balcony tonight, but was caught up working on the KSLG website and missed the sunset until it was too dark. Buggers. Maybe tomorrow.
Amongst the things I'd love to accomplish this year... more quality time with my camera. Maybe more focus (pun intended?) on non-human items. And macro... lots of it.

Anonymous said...

Do you ever go to the beach between Capetown and Petrolia for tide pooling? At low tide, it holds lots and lots of wonders. But, you have to want to drive out to Petrolia to explore that vacant coastline. But, the beaches are pretty vacant. Dress warmly.

beachcomber said...

Eko, I've never checked out the tidepools there. We always seem to do that ride on motorcycle and don't stop for too long though I'm always intrigued by empty stretches of beach. Is it that one area next to the road, I think just beyond the bottom of "the wall"? I was never really sure exactly which part was actually Capetown but will check it out. Mr.ridetwoeat has assured me that he will accompany me there for protection, of course.