Looking closely

Snails on a beach in Maine - I’m totally missing Maine - seems like forever that I’ve been editing my vacation photos!

I was enamored by the starfish (if you couldn’t already tell), even ones left up on the rocks after the tide went out. I felt as sorry for them as I did our ducks last winter - the ducks missing the water the city had drained out of their area.

I’m not sure what was going on in this shallow water. I know it’s a starfish and one of those weird water-worm/snake things. I wondered if the worm-thing (technical term) was trying to eat the starfish but I really have no clue. I’ve already showed you how slow the starfish moves - I’m betting lots of things eat them!

The starfish seem to not care what they are “walking” on - but the snails and barnacles don’t seem to mind either.

My son, Haden, was an expert at finding the minute stars! Several times we thought he had found one with a missing “leg”, only to see the star in the water with all 5 points. Odd.

See, this is the same starfish - all “legs” in tact.

They are so magical! They appear soft and squishy, maybe even slimy, but they aren’t. They are kinda hard, like a crab, not quite that hard, but rough to the touch, not slimy at all.

This is the underside of a starfish - he’s still trying to move, as the water comes in and out, the star floats then lands, wiggles, floats, then lands. . .

If you look close, in the pools left on the beach, you will find all kinds of life. Just have a little patience, sit and watch, then you’ll notice movement and discover something new.

In this photo alone, there’s a starfish, barnacles, many snails, and many “bugs” and some slugs. . .

Beautiful, even in death.

Seal - Mama Love

Did you know that a mama seal kisses her babies? Well, it may not be an actual kiss but she keeps track of her baby by touching noses with it when they surface.

I find it precious!

Mama?

*Schmack*

We also got to see a baby nursing, see him there? Isn’t he adorable?!

I wonder if a seal would like Wisconsin?

*Schmack*

Bye!

How to eat crab

As we were leaving Sandy Beach, we discovered a gull eating a crab.

Or, uh, attempting to eat a crab.

He finally got hold of it.

And as we watched, he ran, then flew. . .

And dropped the crab. I think they do this to break into the shell.

I don’t think the crab will be attempting to escape after that tumble.

Just a little beach walk

Not sure what kind of flower this is, the guys found it while hiking near sandy Beach in Acadia National Park.

I explored the water’s edge while waiting for them. Snails, weird water bugs, starfish, and all sorts of nearly hidden creatures.

When we found this little fellow we did not know what it was either.

But we found out later, while on the lobster boat, that it’s a Toad Crab.

He must have been a baby. Such a tiny guy!

So unusual looking!

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Going Lobstering

After the bad luck on the whale boat the day before, we hesitantly boarded the lobster boat. Although, we figured lobsters should be pretty easy to find.

Because they have a teaching license they are able to keep various catches to share with passengers, but all catches are eventually released.

The captain snagged a buoy.

Once the captain could, he would grab hold of the rope attached to the buoy. . .

. . .and, place the rope on the pulley to help pull up the trap.

Each trap was like a little mystery, waiting to see what might be inside. There were lobsters, but also, crabs and starfish would come along.

I think I see lobsters!

I don’t think he likes it much. While the lobster wiggles, the measuring thing (technical term) is placed in the eye groove and run to the divot where the tail starts.

Each lobster would be measured. Only lobsters falling in a certain range are allowed to be kept.

Each tail is checked for eggs. If there are eggs attached to the tail, the lobster is a female and thrown back.

The gulls anxiously waited for the small lobsters to be thrown back.

And they fought for lunch.

Crabs would get thrown back too, but not until we got a lesson.

Our guide told us interesting tidbits about lobsters and even passed one around for us to hold. Yep, I held a lobster. . .and a starfish.

The captain has been getting gulls to eat from his hand. But not on this day, the gulls preferred to eat what was tossed.