Since I’m still coming down off my fabulous seaside vacation, my mind is still wandering to thoughts of frolicsome surf sports. And I’m clearly not the only one. Seal numbers are up on Cape Cod, and just about every time I paddled out with my body board, the long, horse-like face of a gray seal would surface next to me. This is slightly unnerving, since seals are also what has been drawing great white sharks to the Cape’s waters, but I emerged each time with all limbs intact. And seals aren’t the only ones hanging out in the breakers; dolphins rather commonly come in close to shore, sometimes for food, and sometimes even hydroplaning up onto the beach after fish. But often, the marine mammals seem to be simply enjoying themselves, right alongside us, their clumsy terrestrial cousins. This videofrom last year shows a teenage boy wake surfing alongside a dolphin that seemed to be recreating right alongside the adolescent human.
Mullets near the beach. Photo by Martin Vanoy.
Mullet at the beach.
Martin Vanoy, our crack photographer who walks his SEANET beach in Florida, sent me this photo of mullets (the fish, not the unfortunate hairstyle of the same name) in the surf. I can always count on Martin to share gorgeous shots that evoke a strong sense of his place down there in Florida. Martin also wrote to tell me that the one-legged Great Blue Heron nicknamed (naturally) Stumpy has disappeared after frequenting his beach for years. RIP, Stumpy. We will honor your legacy of hope and perseverance in the face of challenges.
