Nothing soothes the soul like a day by the water.
Yesterday I shared my beach treasures of shells, sea glass, and stones.
The beach is full of many amazing things. We just need to take the time to really see them. I’m not always the best at doing that but I’m improving.
These Skate Egg Cases or Mermaid Purses are very interesting.
A skate egg case is also referred to as a “mermaid’s purse.” Each one of these black cases is about 3-4 inches in length. Each year, a female will lay two fertilized eggs, each in its own casing, every 3 to 5 days. Skates lay anywhere from 60-82 eggs annually. The egg case has a total of four “hooks” so it can anchor itself to seaweed on the ocean floor. The “hooks” also provide oxygen to the developing embryo through a small hole at the end. The egg case is made from the same substance as human finger nails (keratin). Depending on the species of skate, it can take 3-15 months for the skate to hatch. Most of the ones found washed up on the beach are empty, the eggs having already hatched.
Egg cases are produced by skates, rays, and sharks,
Sailors used to think that shark egg cases washed up after storms were the mislaid handbags of mermaids, hence the name ‘mermaid’s purse’.
https://www.americanoceans.org/facts/mermaids-purse/
Beware of pretty things.
These Portuguese Man O’ War are pretty. Pretty nasty.
Resembling an 18th-century Portuguese warship under full sail, the man o’ war is recognized by its balloon-like float, which may be blue, violet, or pink and rises up to six inches above the waterline. Below the float are long strands of tentacles and polyps that grow to an average of 10 meters (about 30 feet) and may extend by as much as 30 meters (about 100 feet). The tentacles contain stinging, microscopic capsules loaded with coiled, barbed tubes that deliver venom capable of paralyzing and killing small fish and crustaceans. While the man o’ war’s sting is rarely deadly to people, it packs a painful punch and causes welts on exposed skin.
Be very careful. The man o’ war may still sting you even weeks after having washed ashore.
They are not always on our beach. Just periodically.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portuguese_man_o%27_war
And sometimes we get jellyfish.
This was found by our friend Joanne during a beach walk. Could it be a dolphin skull?
We’ve seen numerous dolphins swimming by, none close enough to get decent photos. A joy one day was to watch one jump right out of the water.
Today on our morning walk the beach had a completely different look. We’ve never seen debris like this before.
One of our joys is the birds. We love watching them. Is that something that occurs as you age? Maybe we now have more time to relax and take in our surroundings. Just enjoying the moments.
One of my favs: these little birds scooting along the shore. Their little legs move so quickly.
One of Richard’s favs: pelicans
He loves it when they fly overhead or skim the water. He also loved watching them crash into the water for fish but this year that’s not been happening.
And of course we get seagulls.
We even have friends drop by for a visit.
Down here they have Beach Mice.
https://www.fws.gov/species/alabama-beach-mouse-peromyscus-polionotus-ammobates
I’ve never seen one but Richard was lucky enough to spot one early one morning.
This morning we noticed their itty bitty tracks and one of their holes.
It never fails to amaze me what can be found on the beach.
The Dolphins – Fred Neil, Joni Mitchell, Debbie Andersen
Take care and stay healthy.
Safe travels Jeanne and Joanne. 🙏🏼❤️
As always, thanks for your interest and thank you for reading.
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Debi's Junket Journal 