On Saturday I joined the Tidewater Master Naturalists on an expedition out of the small seaside town of Wachapreague, on Virginia's beautiful Eastern Shore. Two able bodied seamen from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) led our group in search of various organisms that make their home in the mud, water and sand behind the Shore's protective barrier islands, in this case Cedar Island. Nets or dredges would be thrown overboard and brought up again for us to examine the contents, while the two gentlemen from VIMS would explain what we were looking at. We also explored some of the vast flats exposed by the low tide. I am no stranger to these waters. My family has lived near them and fished from them for generations, but on this trip I was able to match a little science with the familiar.
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Our day on the water included a long lunch break on Cedar Island, which was named for its once thriving forest of eastern red cedars (
Juniperus virginiana). The island is only accessible by boat, and when I was young my extended family would gather there each summer to play in the surf, share a meal and enjoy a casual reunion. For some of those years, my uncle would rent a cottage on the island, making the reunion a little more comfortable for those who appreciated such things. Today the forest is gone, all that is left of the cottage are pilings sticking out of the Atlantic, and after Hurricane Sandy, about 1800' of the southern end of the island has disappeared. Although barrier islands are by their nature dynamic everchanging places, I think the changes I have seen in my lifetime on Cedar Island are due to something else.
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About three years ago the trawler Laura J was heading south, down the coast, when all of its systems failed before running aground on Cedar Island. The 5-man crew was rescued and brought to a hotel in Wachapreague for the night. The next morning the crew was gone, and the trawler has remained there since. No one has managed to salvage it, but the swallows now have a waterfront home with a fine view.
If you want to see the all of photos from my Saturday on the water, you can
click here for my Flickr set.
Beautiful!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteLooks like a lovely day exploring nature on the wet side of the world. So many exotic critters just a walk in the mud away...
ReplyDeleteHow odd that someone would just walk away from that boat...
John, I thought it odd too, but when you consider who difficult it would be to get to, maybe it was cheaper to file an insurance claim.
DeleteWhat an adventure! I've never encountered a mud crab...
ReplyDeleteI am not sure if this was my first or not. I might have seen one but not known what I was looking at.
DeleteWhat a beautiful array of images, excellent variety of critters you found, which at least suggests clean water? Sad about the loss of forest and cottage though.
ReplyDeleteIn general the waters are clean, enough so that farming clams is big business here. Hopefully this business can exert enough pressure to challenge any other development that might impair the waters.
DeleteSuch beautiful pictures of a beautiful place. Despite holding many secrets, the sea is also a place of discovery, isn't it? When I spend time by the ocean I find it very relaxing and peaceful but am always mindful of the power.
ReplyDeleteSue, despite being mindful of the power, I love living near the sea. We are fortunate that it is so close.
DeleteWhat amazing creatures from the sea! Your photos are gorgeous. It must have been a marvelous expedition.
ReplyDeleteI did have a lot of fun. However, after 6 hours on the water I was ready for a shower, a beverage and a comfortable chair.
DeleteWhat a wonderful day you must have had on the shores edge! The Saint and I would enjoy such a day and talk about going to one of the Georgia Barrier Islands to check them out. Your "Bag of Worms" was a bit much as they kind of gave me the creeps but after a bit of education, I am sure I would appreciate them more. It never ceases to amaze me to see how wildlife embraces the things us humans toss their way such as the ship...
ReplyDeleteSkeeter, you and the Saint should definitely visit coastal Georgia. I have been to Tybee, St. Simons and Jekyll, but where I really want to go is Cumberland.
DeleteIt must be sad to see your childhood playground look so different. Beautiful photos as always.
ReplyDeleteLayanee, it is somewhat sad, but I understand why it happens.
DeleteLove that tiny crab. I have some Juniperus virginiana I can give you. :) What do you think made the island change so much? Was it the hurricane? Your photos are lovely as always.~~Dee
ReplyDeleteI hate to say it, but I think Cedar Island is one of the front lines on global warming and sea level rise.
DeleteVERY cool. As a confirmed landlubber (I literally have gotten sick in a rowboat), I can enjoy your nautical experiences from a comfortable chair. Sad about the changes on the island, but it's good that there is still so much fascinating life to be found in the waters.
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting array of creatures. I love a coastal 'treasure hunt'. Sad to know the area is so directly affected by global warming.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous experience, thank you for sharing it. As always your photos are lovely. Wonderful critters. My husband just asked me (after seeing your photos) If I had ever seen a living horseshoe crab! I haven't.
ReplyDeleteYour Wachapreague expedition certainly turned up an interesting array of creatures. I am surprised and relieved to see that you did not dredge up a load of garbage. The images of the washed up boats are eerily beautiful and I love the mysterious and perhaps ominous picture of the shell in the shadow of the dead branches-perfect for a post on global warming.
ReplyDeleteWhat a story about the trawler. We had someone do that here on Cliff Island. The local land trust was stuck with hauling the boat away. I am surprised that the boat hasn't been removed before it breaks up given all the toxic substances on board. Your photos of sea life were so fun to see. I wouldn't have expected squid.
ReplyDeleteFascinating! Your photographs are great!!!
ReplyDelete