Beachcombing VII

Beachcombing on the West Coast of Queen Charlotte Islands (Haida Gwaii)

 

My niece happily displays the results of an early morning beachcombing expedition on the steep beaches and in the deep mosses and root systems of windblown, stunted trees fringing the beaches near Hippa Island, just off the west coast of Moresby Island, Haida Gwaii. The mighty waves of the Pacific Ocean fling treasures from the ocean into the protective vegetation of the west shores of Haida Gwaii.  Just like the salmon, halibut, cod, killer whales, eagles, porpoises and sea lions in the area, the shells are hardy and weathered.  Exploring this remote area offers the spiritual sense of creating the first footsteps ever in an ancient and rugged land.

 

 

Beachcombing VI

Beachcombing on Vancouver Island

 

With a bit of a catch in my throat, I study what the waves at Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park, between Ladysmith and Qualicum Beach, have stranded as the tide recedes.  These interdependent life forms are designed to survive until the tide reclaims them.  In the meantime, they signal that I am home on the shores of British Columbia.

 

 

Beachcombing V

Beachcombing in Egypt

 

With delight and a magic chuckle, I found a petrifying shell imbedded on the shores of the Red Sea near the ancient port of Al Quseir - how poignant!

 



Beachcombing IV

Mozambique Beachcombing

 

On the shores of the Indian Ocean, this fishing boat, still drying from its early morning fishing trip, reminds me of the multitude of fishing boats used worldwide and since time immemorial.  The unique design of each boat reflects its time and place in history, the power of the waters fished and the skill and resources of the fisherman, himself or herself.

 



Beachcombing III

Panama Beachcombing

 

On the Isla de Coiba, Panama, gentle waves wash ashore a wide selection of outgrown shells, each uniquely suited to the life it once protected.  I am forever intrigued by seashells.  It is not surprising that I love Anne Morrow Lindbergh's Gift From the Sea.

 

 

Beachcombing II

Galapagos Beachcombing

 

Wave action in Darwin Bay (Genovesa Island) first reveals and then washes ashore the amazing internal matrix of the Opuntia Cactus, a food source for the Galapagos Iguana. 

 

Let me tell the story with photos.

 

The Opuntia Cactus of the Galapagos

 

The Galapagos Iguana Feasting on Opuntia Cactus

 

The Inner Matrix Revealed

 

An amazing gift from the ocean!



Beachcombing

Yucatan Beachcombing
 

I am always filled with wonder when oceans around the world wash up beautiful arrangements that manifest the complexities of life.