Note: none of the sea life depicted here was harmed in any way during our class observations. We were observing and listening to our knowledgeable instructor, retired marine biologist and author Rick Harbo. All flipped over rocks were carefully and gently replaced to protect the wildlife revealed.
Rock on,
The WB
Ah what a cute photobomber! 🤣 That Red crab shell was cool! It was looking at petroglyph of its inhabitant on it. It looks like it was a great day out there.
It was the BEST day! I could happily spend hours at the shore, and now I know even more cool things to look for. I need a Maggie Dog to keep me company! 😍 Thanks, Deborah 💕
😀
Your photographs here are amazing, Deb.
Let’s plan to do a beach walk there soon. I would LOVE to see it!
Absolutely! Bring gardening gloves – those rocks are sharp with barnacles and hard to turn over. Thanks, Donna 💕
Oh yeah, and we have to plan it around the lowest of low tide time!
Looking forward to it! Were all class members present today?
Yes, and you-know-who was slightly less annoying and teacher groupie-like…or maybe I have matured??? 🤔😂
Awesome!
That looks so much fun!
I was IN MY ELEMENT. SO. MUCH. FUN. Thank you 💕
Wow, those are great pictures. How exciting to see all that life most of us would miss.
It was so exciting! Between the Tree course and the Marine Life course, I have learned so much about nature on this island in the past 4 weeks. Love it 😍 Thank you, Janis 💕
Very interesting!! Thanks… and kudos to that last find… she’s a sweetie.
Isn’t she though? It’s a good thing I don’t know where Ann (the owner) lives. I could become a nuisance in her neighbourhood, hoping for more Maggie time 😁. Thank you 💕
I just bought myself rubber boots for this specific purpose. There is some good intertidal ponds nearby.
I remember you telling me how much you liked exploring the shore! I did too, before…but now I have a much better idea of what to look for, and where…and when. Thanks, Ann 💕
You might like the iNaturalist app
Thanks for the reminder! I do have it, but don’t use it nearly enough.
Hi Deb – beautiful photos – and so good to see you’re taking the opportunity that’s available so easily on VI on so many subjects – excellent time … and great to see Donna and you will have another trip out there fairly soon – low tide prevailing. Cheers Hilary
Yes, absolutely! All this wonder and natural life is so easily accessible if you know when and where to look. I am thrilled!!!! Thanks, Hilary 💕
Wow wow wow 😯
What amazing things to see and learn about!
Looks like a great class day today!
It was a perfect day, for me! Thank you, Sis 💕
Now that looks like a great day!
For me, it was one of the greats…for sure! I didn’t want the class to end. Thanks, Rivergirl 💕
Deb, you pictures tell a beautiful story of nature and discovery. Glad you had fun.
Thank you, Suzanne 💕 I know every kid goes through a “I wanna be a marine biologist when I grow up” stage and I was no exception…but growing up in southern Ontario I could only dream of the sea and its shores. Now I am truly “living the dream”.
You are living a great life in your new location. Retirement suits you. Are these one day classes you’re taking or a series? Leisure time classes or graded? Either way, you’re getting a good introduction to the environment you are now tasked to enjoy and protect.
Amazing!!
Thank you, Dawn 💕
These are classes specifically for retirees – a department of the local university called “ElderCollege” puts these on. All instructors are volunteers (usually fellow retirees) and that keeps the fees low. The Marine Life course was only 3 classes, and the Trees course was 4 classes. For the past 2 years the courses were all taught through Zoom, but now they are hosting in-person and field trip type classes as well as Zoom. ElderCollege participation has gone way up since Covid, as even people who live far away or aren’t as mobile can attend due to Zoom. One good thing coming out of this pandemic…Thank you, Jean 💕
Clearly your new place to live is fascinating. While I like the Sea stars because they’re stars, Maggie may be the real star of this post. But you knew that.
Maggie is absolutely the real star, the best find of the day for me 😍. (And I found out which kennel she came from and have already made contact…hehehe!) Thanks, Ally 💕
What a fantastic class! Oh Deb, you are truly living your best life 🙂 Gorgeous pictures, such a wonderful variety of marine life. And Maggie is, indeed, an absolute cutie. Are you tempted? 😉
Beyond tempted, Debs! I found out the kennel Maggie came from and I contacted the breeder. After I move I will be looking for a 4 legged companion and border terriers are high on my list. Thanks 💕
That was pretty cool. I’ve never heard of some of those critters.
I had never heard of the Plainfin midshipmen nor knew it was peacefully living its best life (procreating, actually) under the rocks I had been climbing over! Thanks, Kate 💕
Lovely photos Deb.
Leslie xoxo
Thank you, Leslie 💕
Wow! What an interesting day! Loved the starfish and the fact that a weird creature called a Plainfin midshipman exists….and that he guards the eggs like a good dad.
I loved learning about the Plainfin Midshipman too Anna! Thanks 💕
I really enjoyed the photos and the informative captions. It brought back a memory of when I was younger at the aquarium in Vancouver and I fed a sea anemone (I gave it some inside of a shell) and it grabbed it. More like an octopus than grass – I was shocked.
Anemones are very cool creatures indeed! Looks like a plant but acts like an octopus as you mentioned. Thank you 💕
You are living the life! love to see it!
Thank you, Susan 💕 I am “living the life”, I feel!
Very cool. I’m inspired!
Thank you, Donna 💕
Maggie is adorable. Wow, so many pretty things to see in the sea; this is my kind of field trip!
Absolutely! I never wanted this class to end (and Maggie’s owner to take her home 😁). Thanks, Suz 💕
Hi Deb, Exceptionally fascinating information and stunning photos! I am sending this post to Chuck. His degree is in Zoology and he worked in Essex, Connecticut on boats during university years. I know he will find all of it interesting, too. I suspect you used your iphone for the photos? Loved this!!💕
I did not know that about Chuck – very cool! Yes, I used my iPhone to take these photos. Thank you, Erica 💕
Seeing all of the sea life is so fascinating! Did Maggie bark at all of them? I feel like my dogs would! Well, at least the ones with legs. 🙂
Maggie didn’t bark at all! She was very, very interested in some other dogs she saw on the beach, but the sea life was “meh”, so far as she was concerned. Thanks, Kari 💕
Cool! I mean sort of — some of them are unusual to say the least! I think it would be very interesting for sure. Great photos. Weird though that this did not come up in my feed until your newer one popped up. Strange WP thing. Bernie
WP didn’t release the newer post when it was supposed to either. I had to go back in and manually publish it. Don’t know why that happens sometimes. WP be weird. Thanks, Bernie 💕
It is indeed weird in its way.